God s recommendations for RAISING CHILDREN

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1 God s recommendations for RAISING CHILDREN Edited by: Friends of His New Word, Switzerland Based on God s New Revelation, 25 volumes dictated by Jesus Christ between 1840 and 1890 to Jakob Lorber, Gottfried Mayerhofer and Leopold Engel. In His New Revelation Jesus talks a bout every subject, a fact one will discover when studying the texts. The present subject is embedded into the greater context of marriage, the healthy family, sex, and the begetting and raising of children. Purpose? Helping the children s soul to grow and guide the young person to find the right path to God, the reason for being on earth. There are two ways of achieving that goal: Either by education as just mentioned starting at an early age or by tougher methods. As God will always leave the free will of humans untouched His other choices to save a person from harming his/her soul is hunger, poverty, catastrophes, illness etc. This also goes if the child is too pampered and raised with a focus on material and carnal pleasures only. Let's face it, looking at how kids are NOT educated and NOT disciplined today, the recommendations of the Lord show how far away humanity is from the will of God today. What would you say? Light years away? The state of the family and teenage worlds kind of shows the gap. The following sequence is partly taken from the book Fundamental Principals of Life by Walter Lutz. It is one of the best works covering all aspects of the New Revelation. UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH CARE Next to the firmness and purity of the marriage bond, true married bliss depends particularly on a proper discipline and care of the children, ruled by love and reason. In the writings of the New Revelation, also this important sphere of life is thoroughly dealt with. The aspects emerging are: Cultivation of the understanding of the heart, true enlightenment of the mind, and consolidation of the will, all founded on the divine order. The goal aimed for is not to raise a worldly person successful in all material, transient things, but a denizen of the heavens ennobled by the spirit of active love for God and the fellowman, who is capable of mastering, through his wisdom and energy, also this earthly life, under the blessing from above. Already the 1

2 Begetting of Children is a sacred action, full of responsibility, calling a new human being into existence. "Therefore, great care has to be taken, firstly, that the begetting does not take place out of base lasciviousness but only out of true love and inclination of the soul and, secondly, that the woman thus having conceived be left in peace for at least seven weeks after the birth of her offspring. The husband who disturbs his wife during her pregnancy spoils the fruit already in the womb, and the spirit of unchastity enters it; for the spirit inciting the spouses to be overactive enters the fruit in an exponentiated strength. Children begotten in an orderly way and developing undisturbed in the womb have more perfect souls when they enter into the world because the soul's development can proceed sooner and more easily in a perfectly formed organism than in one totally spoilt which the soul must continually improve and mend. Secondly, it is in itself purer and lighter, not being disturbed by the lewd spirits which as after-procreations are often daily begotten into the flesh and soul of the embryo. How easily can such a soul at a very tender age raise itself in childlike, innocent love to God! With such children an outer life-sphere begins to form early. They can soon and easily become clairvoyant, and everything in My order has to bow to their will. What, in contrast, are children already spoilt in the womb? I tell you: Hardly more than unreal phantoms of life. And what, mainly, must be blamed for it? That, which I have shown you at length as an outcome of lewdness. Wherever in future times you will preach My Word, this vital precept shall be included. For it works life's ground and soil and frees it of thorns, scrub and thistles, from which no man has ever harvested grapes and figs." [ref. 'Fundamental Principles I/pg. 180; Great Gospel of John [GGJ] 04, on to ] In line with the foregoing precepts, we are also given in the New Revelation the Principles of Proper Upbringing. In 'The Great Gospel' the Lord has this to tell us: "Above all, the child must be taught to subdue its still very animal-like, selfish will, and must not be pampered. The main reason why human souls become depraved lies in the blind partiality, with which parents often bring up their children. The young tree is allowed to grow as it pleases and everything is done by way of pampering to let the trunk grow rather crooked. But once the trunk has become rigid, all attempts to straighten it out are of little or no avail. Therefore, straighten out your children during their tractable early days, and soon there will hardly be a material soul left who could not understand the spiritual and would not easily do what is right in the true living order out of God. Up to the age of seven a child is always by far more of an animal than a human and, therefore, has very many animal needs while at the same time only few human ones. Therefore, let them be given only what is absolutely necessary and be conditioned from an early age to do without certain things. Whoever wants to follow Me may do so, and I shall not send him away, even if he were the greatest sinner. Great Gospel of John 06,49 2

3 They shall be given an opportunity to do good and useful deeds, but a child, be it ever so well-behaved, shall never be made vain, full of self-love and over esteem. Those who are well-behaved must not be praised too highly, but neither must the less gifted and less wellbehaved be treated too harshly but always with the proper love and patience. Besides, children, especially good-looking ones, must never be made conceited and proud through fine and rich clothes. Keep them clean but do not turn them into household idols. Those who love their children must first of all strive to cultivate their souls so that they will not be swallowed up by matter, but become capable of absorbing God's Spirit. Therefore, condition your children at an early age to seek the true Kingdom of God in their heart. Thereby you adorn them more than regally, securing for them the greatest and best treasure for time and eternity. Through such a spiritually directed upbringing a virgin will, chaste and modest, attain to respectable motherhood, and the youth will with a mature soul and with the awakened spirit within it enter into manhood and be a blessing for his family as well as for the earth with all its creatures. If, however, you yield too much to the animal desires and passions of your children, you will open a wide gate to all kinds of depravity. And once they are there in great numbers, you will in vain wage war against them with all kinds of weapons and fail to win against their great force and power." [GGJ 04, on; on] Strictness and Love However, in conformity with true wisdom, the handling of children should differ in essential points from that of the more mature youth. Since nowadays most children are no longer begotten according to God's order, being the fruit of a conduct guided by animal instincts, their weak soul is often heavily encumbered by selfish, base soul-sparks rendering their will evil and obstinate. With the little ones this weed should be as far as possible eradicated already at the most tender age through a strict, unyielding discipline. Accordingly, in their early years children owe their parents uncompromising obedience. [GGJ 08,22.7 on; 01,34.9] Those who are disobedient should be handled with great earnest. "Their soul-maladies," says the Lord in 'The Great Gospel', "can best be cured through a good discipline where the rod should not be missing." [GGJ 01,79, 3; 'Childhood of Jesus', chap. 168, 13] However, fasting where expedient is an even better punishment than a beating for children who display anger and passion. Nothing heals anger better than fasting. In this case they should be told that the heavenly Father did not want them to obtain bread because of their naughtiness. They will get it again as soon as they ask His forgiveness and are well-behaved again. When the children have calmed down and behave they shall be told how pleased the heavenly Father is with them. If the children display great excitability, they shall, also later on, live moderately, go to bed early, abstain from alcohol and from the flesh of unclean animals and avoid amusement places, particularly dance- and music-halls, because these abound with many unclean spirits who take possession of people. [Earth and Moon, chap. 62] However, a different way of treatment is advisable where the more mature youth is concerned. - "Every father does right when he punishes the naughty little children with the rod, but he should always be a wise and gentle teacher to his grown-up sons. Only if a son were to rebel against his father, shall he be threatened. If he then changes his attitude, he shall be restored to the old harmony." [Childhood of Jesus, chap. 168, 13-16] 3

4 Furthermore, once children have learnt to recognize God's will, they should show filial love and respect to their parents instead of the obedience they now owe only to God. "The soul-maladies of adults are cured through wise and loving counsel, through thorough teaching and instruction and pure love-motivated admonitions and drawing of the attention to the inevitable bad consequences that must arise in the future if the soul's weaknesses are retained. If with very stubborn, i.e. blind and deaf souls, this has no effect, only then would it be time to subject them to a more severe treatment, at the bottom of which, however, love for the fellowman must be present in abundance, for the blessing of a more severe treatment can result only from that. If, however, the educator acts only from anger and a hellish vengefulness, then all his effort is futile, Instead of healing the ones with sick souls to become true men, they are turned into devils, whose vengefulness in future no power will be able to appease." [GGJ 01, on] Education to Meekness and Love for God Next to the conquering of base instincts and selfish inclinations comes the positive part, as the main task in youth care, namely, the turning of the child's heart towards God and the inspiring and nurturing of meekness and love for God. For we draw all the forces of life and of a blessed existence from Him, the source of all being and heavenly Father. Therefore, the cultivation of the heart's understanding has to begin at a very tender age. "For truly I tell you: The instruction in the cradle (i.e., at a very early age] is worth more than all the educational institutions of the world." [GGJ 05,246, 9; 08,213, 7 on] "Teach the little children early to love the Father in Heaven. Show them how good and kind He is Who as created all that is good, beautiful and wise for the benefit of men, and how extremely fond He is of the little children who love Him above all. Whenever you can, draw their attention to the fact that the Father in Heaven arranges all things and makes them happen, and you will turn the hearts of the little ones to Me, and My love will begin to grow in them. And your little effort will soon bear excellent fruit for you." [GGJ 04,220, 12; ref. also chap. 83, 4 on] The Lord Instructs Children about God The Lord Himself demonstrates in a scene contained in 'The Great Gospel' how to imbue the simple mind and heart of a child with the proper concepts of God, the Creator of all and Father in Jesus. There He greets a crowd of children adopted by the Essenes. Let us read: "Then I blessed the children, embraced and kissed them and wanted to leave, but they surrounded Me, lovingly and trustingly, and asked Me to remain still for a short while with them. And I said: 'Yes, these suppliants I cannot refuse anything, and so I will stay for another half hour with them.' Hearing this, the children became very cheerful and a boy asked Me trustingly: 'Oh you dear and most kind great Lord! You mentioned to us earlier the extremely kind spiritual Father in Heaven and that we should learn to know and love Him above all. Yes, once we have recognized Him we will certainly do that, but how can we recognize Him? Who will show Him to us? Do you know Him well? If you do know Him, describe Him to us and we shall immediately begin to love Him above all.' 4

5 Said I: 'My dear children, this is still rather difficult because you have so far no idea concerning Him, but I will try to give you an idea, and so listen carefully: The Father in Heaven is the purest, most perfect and eternal, exceedingly alive spirit who has never had a beginning and will never end. Already from eternity He has created through His almightiness out of Himself heaven and this earth and everything on it. If a man on this earth wants to create something, he needs suitable material and all kinds of tools, but the Father in Heaven does not need any already existing material nor a tool for it. His almighty will is His material and tool. He created also men, so that they should recognize and love Him above all and receive from Him eternal life. In order that men may know how they have to live with one another, the Father in Heaven has revealed to them His will through certain heavenly messengers, called prophets. Whoever lives and acts according to it gains eternal life. People who are devout, love the Father above all and live according to His commandments get to hear the voice of the Father and see His countenance already in this world. So I urge you, My dear little children, to be good. Then you too will enjoy such supreme happiness already in this world!' The children promised to do all that I had advised them to do if they could only once hear and see the Father in Heaven and asked Me whether I had already often heard and seen Him and what He was like. Said I with great friendliness: 'My dear children, I always hear and see the Father and He looks exactly like I do and also His voice sounds like Mine. Therefore, he who sees and hears Me sees and hears also the Father in Heaven. So have a good look at Me, and then you may say that you have seen and heard the Father in Heaven! Here the children gazed at Me and said after a while: 'If the Father in Heaven looks like you, He must be very good and we already love Him above all!'" [GGJ 08, on] Education to Neighbourly Love Out of love for God, the Father of all men, the child shall also learn at an early age the pure, active love for all fellowmen and fellow beings. For the divine plan for man's development really has as its aim the selfless, active love for the fellowman. And it is particularly in the sphere of active love where we shall become as perfect as He Himself is. Thus we hear in 'The Great Gospel' [08,150,14 on] the Lord's words which particularly apply to youth and youth care: "Seek above all to develop and strengthen your life-consciousness (the heart's understanding] according to My teaching, feel his need with the poor and help to alleviate it to the best of your ability, comfort the depressed, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, help the sick wherever you can, free the prisoners and preach My gospel to the poor in spirit! This will raise your heart's understanding up to the heavens, and your soul will on this truest path of life soon and easily unite with its spirit out of God and thereby share all His wisdom and might. And that will surely be more than possessing a great deal of worldly knowledge but being unfeeling towards one's fellowmen, thus proving that one is still very distant from the true life in the spirit. I tell you: The spirit - the only living thing within man - is purely love. He who endeavours to absorb such love and its forever benevolent feeling more and more into his egoistic soul and therein keeps growing stronger, more courageous and pliable, furthers the spirit's full union with the soul. And if then the soul becomes sheer love and wisdom where its most tender 5

6 feeling is concerned, it has completely merged with its spirit and as a result is in the fullest possession of all its spirit's wondrous abilities of life and existence. And this is worth more than having finished all the schools of the worldly-wise on earth. Cultivation of Intellect and Knowledge With the cultivation of the heart's understanding through love towards God and the fellowman, being foremost among the divine principles on upbringing, it does not follow that intellect and the acquisition of knowledge should be neglected. Of course, the human intellect residing in the brain, being a light of cognition procured for the soul by the physical senses, possesses the imperfection of all that is of the soul. If it is solely in the service and under the influence of the cold human self-love and arrogance, it can neither recognize nor work anything in the world that is truly good. It is different, however, if it lets itself be illuminated and guided by the divine spirit residing in the heart, whose nature and will are meekness and love. A keen intellect illumined by the divine spirit-spark and a thus illumined knowledge are a blessed divine gift which enables man to work much good in both the earthly and the spiritual kingdom of our heavenly Father. Therefore, the proper schooling of the intellect and the cultivation of knowledge must not be neglected where the children are concerned. Thus the Lord says in 'The Great Gospel': "First teach the children reading, writing and arithmetic. Then reveal to them the form of the earth, showing them everywhere the true nature of things and why they were created, as far as it is proper and they can grasp it. Enrich them with much good knowledge; let them also make all sorts of experiences and instil into their minds an enthusiasm for all that is good and true." [GGJ 05,134. 4] For this purpose, every congregation "shall establish a separate school with experienced, decent teachers." [GGJ 08,90.1] Also the appreciation of beauty should be taught. - "I have never forbidden men to delight in the beauty of the earth. But, at the same time, they shall always in their heart remember Him, Who created the earth so beautiful; thereby their heart will be edified. He who thus looks at God's works, may also find his delight in them; such friends of the beauty of nature are certainly better people and easily converted to the Kingdom of God." [GGJ 08,189; also 06,136, 2 on] However, the cultivation of the intellect and the acquisition of knowledge have their reasonable limit. If my Word met with the world's approval, it would not be out of Me! The contempt of the world, however, is always the greatest proof of that which is out of Me. Heavenly Gifts, 2,98 "People need the rudiments mentioned to attain to the true wisdom of life. However, it is important that this rudimentary knowledge and its acquisition do not become the main issue and people do not forget the inner, spirit-awakening education wherein alone consists the true worth of life. For, what use would it be to a man if he could write and understand all the scriptures in the world and speak all the languages, but harmed his soul? Therefore, seek above all the Kingdom of God on earth, seek it within you! Everything else will then be given to you with the Kingdom of God within you. Without it man would have as good as nothing - even if he possessed all the treasures of the earth and the knowledge of all the worldly-wise. The one who possesses the Kingdom of God in his 6

7 heart has everything. He has all the supreme and deepest knowledge within him and possesses everlasting life and its power, might and eternal bliss." [GGJ 07,126, 8 on] Education to Chastity and Morality The writings of the New Revelation also lay emphasis on a great obligation on the part of teachers, namely, to help the young to preserve their purity of soul. "The lust of the flesh is more or less the main evil of all mankind. Many physical ailments and maladies of the soul originate from this lust. Therefore, you shall turn your eyes away from the tempting dangers of the flesh until you have become masters over your own flesh. Protect your children from the first fall that they may keep their chastity, and they will easily master their flesh as adults and will not easily fall. But a slight carelessness, and the evil spirit of the flesh will have taken possession of the soul. Yet no devil is harder to drive out of a person than the devil of the flesh. This can only be achieved through much fasting and praying. Therefore, beware of exciting the little ones and stirring up their flesh by adorning them in too much finery. Woe betide him who will thus offend against the nature of the little ones! I Myself shall punish such an offender against the nature of the young with all the power of My wrath. Once the flesh has become brittle, the soul lacks a firm foundation and its perfection does not proceed well at all. What a task it is for a weak soul to heal its brittle flesh and render it once more unscarred! How much fear it often has to stand when it realizes the brittleness and weakness of its flesh, its earthly dwelling! Look at the blind, the deaf, the cripples, the lepers, the palsied and look also at all the children and adults suffering from every kind of disease, all of them consequences of a premature breaking of the flesh of either parents or children!' [GGJ 04,80, 2 on] However, the fruits of a chaste upbringing and conduct of life are great and full of blessings. In 'The Great Gospel' the Lord has this to say: "I tell you: If parents knew how to bring up their children so that they preserve their innocence and purity, they too would be given teachers and guides directly from the heavens. With the patriarchs this was very often the case, and here and there it has still happened in our time (i.e., at the time of Christ]. The mother of My body, also My foster-father Joseph, old Simeon, Anna, Zacharias, his wife Elisabeth, their son John and a few others were taught directly by the angels from heaven; but they were from the cradle brought up by their parents in the greatest purity where their morals and souls were concerned." [GGJ 08,068,11 on; also 'Fundamental Principles', 1/27] Fruits of a Bad or a Good Upbringing Of course, godless; worldly people, knowing nothing of these things, bring up their offspring in the same worldly-wise manner in which they themselves have attained to their "earthly happiness". "They let their children learn all sorts of things, but only of a material nature. Since both the parents and the teachers, who for monetary considerations comply with the parents' wishes, have no conception of a soul's understanding of the heart, the cultivation of the latter is totally neglected. The whole education aims at the earthly cultivation and sharpening of the intellect. This is furthered by the giving of presents and prizes to the child. Thus, it is at a very early age full of selfishness and loves to profit, wears beautiful clothes and often already in its tenth year is full of pride. Woe to a poor person who would not give honour to such a spoilt child! Where should with such a spoilt child a true, inner strength of 7

8 life come from? Where, then, is man's mastery over nature and over the elements of all that is created? If, however, in man's upbringing particular consideration is given to the development of the heart prior to that of the intellect, which is then easy to effect, the awakened intellect becomes the living light-ether that flows around the soul in the same manner as the light-ether surrounds the sun, producing all the magnificent effects animating this earth. A properly cultivated soul is and remains an inner, active force, while the intellect constitutes the forthcoming effect of the inner activity of the soul. Then the outer light of the intellect lights up the outer situations to the soul - be they ever so critical - and the now activated will of the soul passes into the outer light of the intellect, working wonderfully towards the good. Since man's order is established in accordance with My own, also volition and trust (of the person living within God's order] go forth from My almighty will which all created beings must obey. Whatever then such a man who is in the right order wills must come to pass within a vast radius around him, because his outer life-sphere is permeated by My Spirit, to Whom all things are possible." [GGJ 04,217, 4-8] The Ideal Type of School These principles are in accordance with the information which we receive in Lorber's work 'The Natural Sun' on the kind of education practised on our sun. There we hear of special volition-schools which aim at developing the young people's will-power, either for the conquering of inordinate longings and vices [chap. 11, 11 on] or for God-pleasing activity. [chap. 31, 14 on] - Also the prophet-schools of the old people of Israel as described in 'The Great Gospel' are worthy to be mentioned. [GGJ 09,56, 6 to 57, 11] However, we find the most detailed description of a truly divine school of spiritual lifeperfection in the work 'The Spiritual Sun', where we read how in the spiritual sun-sphere God's angels guide the maturing and perfecting of human souls departed at a tender age from earth. The manner in which in the so-called "children's realm" the young souls are taught how to speak and read, the science of correspondences, how they are instructed on creation, on God, on man and on moral behaviour, always bearing in mind their spiritual perfecting - all this could also serve as a great model for the instruction of the young people on earth. Thus we are told in the aforementioned book: "You can well assume that here, in the realm of perfect spirits, everything is correspondingly far more wisely arranged towards achieving some good outcome than it is on earth. And this for the simple reason that here - metaphorically speaking - in counting one does not begin with One, going on ad infinitum; but here one begins, so to speak, with the infinite [God], counting from there backward to One (i.e., to the created subject). Or, in other words, here one does not proceed from within to without, but from without to within. Already on earth all people had been shown this best road by the Lord, Who taught them how to effect the inner, spiritual cultivation of the soul. But they neglect the holy school of the heart and prefer instead to battle their whole life with futile knowledge pertaining to the inert nature. When they then at the end of their lives ask themselves: 'What great things have we now achieved through all our laborious studying?' - their own heart will give them the answer: 'What we have achieved is that now, at the most important moment of our lives, we do not even know whether to expect another life hereafter or not. Are heaven, hell and spiritworld a myth or should there be some truth about them? If there is nothing about them, what 8

9 will become of us? Yet if there is something about them, where are we to go - upward or downward?' Look, these are the certain fruits of a worldly, superficial scholarliness. However, in order to achieve the rebirth of the spirit - without which no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven - it is essential to comply with all the aspects of the holy school of life, which the great Master of all Life has Himself preached to the people of the earth and sealed with His own blood." [Spiritual Sun 11,71] The Highest Example of Divine Life-Perfection is given in the glorious development of Jesus, the Lord and Master Himself. In Lorber's work 'The Childhood of Jesus', which is a restoration of the long-lost Gospel of James, we possess a detailed description of Jesus' childhood up to His twelfth year. In the last chapter (300), the remainder of the decisive, formative years is summarized as follows: "Just how did the Lord Jesus live from His twelfth to His thirtieth year? He constantly felt the presence of the almighty Deity within Himself as a living power. He knew within His soul that everything in the whole creation was and eternally must be subservient to His slightest wish. Moreover, He felt the greatest urge within His soul to rule over everything. Pride, a desire for power, for complete freedom, for a life of pleasure, for women, and other infirmities, as well as anger, were the chief weaknesses of His (human] soul. (On the difference between the human soul of Jesus and its indwelling divine spirit as well as other mysteries pertaining to Jesus' person and nature, refer to 'Fundamental Principles', vol. 1, chap. 5 and chaps , which we will publish on our website shortly.) But He fought against all of these powerful and deadly inclinations from the will of His soul. He humbled His pride through poverty; but what an indeed harsh measure this was for Him to Whom all things belonged, and Who nevertheless might not call anything 'My own'. He tamed His desire for power through the most willing obedience toward those who, like all men, were like chaff before Him. He conquered His eternal, supreme freedom by submitting Himself to men as a servant to perform the lowliest tasks. He fought against His most powerful urge to lead a life of pleasure by frequent fasts -from want as well as from the free will of His soul. He fought His desire for women through repeated hard work, simple fare, prayer and through keeping company with wise men. Indeed, in this matter He had to carry an exceptionally great burden, for His appearance and the sound of His voice were most captivating. But for all that He had to say at all times: 'Noli Me tangere!' (Do not touch Me, ed.) Furthermore, since He saw through the malice of men at a glance and saw their cunning and hypocrisy, their dishonesty and selfishness, it is easy to understand that he was quickly aroused and could very easily be hurt and angered. But here He tempered His divine character with His love and compassion. Thus He practised the most arduous self-denial throughout His whole life, so that He might thereby rebuild the eternal order which had been shaken to its very foundation." Thereby the Lord, without ever succumbing to the temptation of sin, attained already in His thirtieth year such a degree of spiritual rebirth, i.e., the merging of His soul with its indwelling God-spirit, that He could from then on begin His great, holy mission as teacher, Messiah and Saviour of the world. But this high goal is also meant for us human beings in a corresponding manner. In 'The Great Gospel' the Lord verifies this with all earnestness and infinite love: 9

10 "Man must by his thirtieth year have so far progressed with his spiritual development as to be completely convinced of an eternal, most free and blissful after-life following the death of his body, much as an eagle is aware of his flight in the lofty, free air!" [GGJ 11,210.04] ΩΩΩ ~ AAA ~ ΩΩΩ How many families raise their children according to these recommendations today? Our guess is less than three percent maximum, worldwide. And that s the reason why you hear about problems with juveniles everywhere, whether it is shootings in schools (e.g. in the US), gang fights and killings (many countries), teachers being at least aggressed if not raped (e.g. in France), people critically beaten for no real reason (e.g. in Germany) or train passengers molested and mugged (e.g. in Switzerland) to just name some crime cases at random, which you find in the newspapers. Justice systems are at a loss what to do with ever younger delinquents legally too young to be locked up in traditional prisons. So societies try to apply solutions and methods which cost them millions with little effect. For more postings and updates on subjects treated in the New Revelation please visit the download page of our web site regularly. HisNewWord.org September