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3OCTOBER2014BODYOFCHRISTNEWSTheMiddlePassageTodayWHENWETHINKOFTHEMIDDLEPASSAGEourfirstthoughtistothinkoftheslavetradefromAfricatoAmericainthe18thand19thcenturies.Duringthesetimesmillionsofslaveswerekilledcontactedinfectiousdiseasescommittedsuicideandstarvedthemselves.Itwasalsoknownasatimeofin-betweennesswhiletryingtogetfrompointAtopointB.Iwouldliketosuggestanotherreasontousethisphrasewhichcouldalsobeconsideredasamiddlepassage.Itinvolvesourchildrenintodayssociety.Whenbabiesareborntousorourfamilieswethinkthatthisisoneofthebestthingsthatcouldhappeninourlives.Weareoverjoyedandpleasedwithwhathasjusthappenedtousasafathermotherorgrandparent.Weholdthischildorchildrenasthoughtheyarethemostpre-ciousgiftthatGodcouldprovide.AfterallinPsalms1273KJVitreadsLochildrenareanheritageoftheLordandthefruitofthewombishisreward.Wealsobelievethatnothingcouldbemoreofablessingthananewbabyinthehousehold.Wespendlotsoftimeholdinggawkingtakingpicturessmilingmakingfacesandteasingwiththebaby.Duringtheyearsfromonetothreewefollowthemaroundchasethemandcorrectthembyusingonewordphrasessuchasstopquitnositetc.totryandcontroltheirbehavior.Insteadofusingthisop-portunitytotryandteachthechildwegeteasilyfrustratedandlosepatience.ThemiddlepassagetodayiswhatIconsidertheteenageyears.Thisistheperiodbetweenthechildandtheadult.DuringthisperiodtheyshouldhavelearnedalotaboutlifealreadyandshouldhaveagoodhandleonGodandhisword.OnceyouvebecomeateenagerandhavenotexperiencedthewordofGoditwillbemoredifficulttomaneuverthepitfallsoflife.Youwillfeelthatyouhaveagoodgriponmosteverythingandhavelittlepatienceforthosewhotrytohelpguideyouatthispoint.Thisisalsoaperiodoftimewheretheirsocalledfriendsandpeerstendtohelpthemmuddlethroughtheprinciplesoflife.Manyparentsandguardiansareleavingtoomuchtochancewhenitcomestotheirchildren.Iunderstandthatsomeparentsarefearfulfortheirchildrengrowingupinthiscrazymixedupworldbuttimewaitsfornoman.Wecantallowaninexhaustibleamountoftimetoexpirewith-outfocusingontryingtodevelopourchildrenforthefuturebecausethecurrentworlddictatesit.Sureyouwouldlikethemtostaysmallcuteandcuddleyforalongerperiodbutyoucannotstopthenaturalorderofthings.Ibelievethatifwedoasthewordsuggestforustodowewillseetheresultsintime.IfwewaitthechildwilllearnbutiswhattheylearnwhatyouwantforthemOurchildrenalsolearnprimarilybywhattheyseeandhearyouasaparentdoandsay.Becareful.WhenwedecidetowatchacertainmovietheratingswillwarnusaboutadultcontentandthenaboutadultlanguagewhichIbelieveshouldbelabeledaspro-fanity.InmanyinstancesIfindithardtodistinguishbetweentheadultlanguageandthelanguagethatsomanyofouryoungpeopleusetoday.Imustsaythatneitherdoalladultsnorallyoungpeopleuseprofanity.Idosupposewhenyougiveadultstheirownlanguageweshouldexpectthemtouseit.InIITimothy313-15KJVtheApostlePaulsaystoTimothyButevilmenandseducersshallwaxworseandworsedeceivingandbeingdeceived.ButcontinuethouinthethingswhichthouhastlearnedandhastbeenassuredofknowingofwhomthouhastlearnedthemAndthatfromachildthouhastknowntheholyscriptureswhichareabletomaketheewiseuntosalvationthroughfaithwhichisinChristJesus.IntheProverbs226KJVitsaysTrainupachildinthewayheshouldgoandwhenheisoldhewillnotdepartfromit.Childrenarenotweedstheyneedjustasmuchattentionasaprizerose.Evenintheanimalworldtheparentsstartthetrainingprocessalmostimmediately.Theproblemwiththisgenerationiswerewastingtoomuchtimebeforewedecidetostartthetrainingprocessandofcourseitwillbemoredifficult.Andyeswealsohavetoconsiderthesource.Childrenbeingbornintothisworldtodayarefarbeyondwherewewereattheirages.Thereisnotimetowait.WhenPastorA.L.BowmanalongwithMrs.BowmanstartedtheearlylearningAcademyinthemidseventystheobjectivewastotrainchildrenfrom18monthsto5yearsofagetosetthemontherighttrackforgrowthdevelopmentandfuturelearning.PastorBowmanknewthatourchildrenneededaheadstartinnavigatingtheprocessoflearning.TheAcademywasneverconsideredaplaceforbabysittingbecausethePastorknewthatasmallchildcouldbetrained.ThesechildrenwerealsointroducedtoGodandthebibleatanearlyage.AfewyearslaterExcelInstitutewasbroughttolifein1983.TheAcademyatthattimebecameafeederschoolforExcel.Inthismodernsocietyweseemostlyalltheschoolsystemsintroducingak-4program.Excelwasoutfrontandveryinstrumentalinintroducingfouryearoldsintothecurrentschoolsystem.PastorBowmanaheadofhistimewenttocourtandfoughtfortheearlyeducationofourchildren.Suretherewereparentsandothersintheschoolsystemsatthattimewhowereskepticsoverthisunfamiliaridea.ItwasintroducedandnoweventhePresidentoftheU.S.isonboardwiththeearlyeducationprocess.InstatesthatmakeitaprioritytoeducateouryoungestchildrenlikeGeorgiaorOklahomastudiesshowstudentsgrowupmorelikelytoreadanddomathatgradelevelgraduatehighschoolholdajobandformmorestablefamiliesoftheirown.Soletsdowhatworksandmakesurenoneofourchildrenstarttheraceoflifealreadybehind.Letsgiveourkidsthatchance.PresidentBarackObamaStateoftheUnionFebruary122013Itisveryapparentthatwetakeforgrantedmanythingsasfarasourchildrenareconcerned.Schoolsexpectchildrentocomewiththeknowl-edgeandexperienceswhichtheyaresupposedtoteachthem.Thecriminaljusticesystemwantstomaximizethepenaltyforcrimescommittedbyyoungchildrenwhoareyoungerthanteenagersandofcourseteenagersthemselves.Weareseeingyoungchildrenbeentriedasadultseventhoughtheyarenotadults.IwouldnevertakelightlysomeofthecriminalactsthathavebeencommittedbyyoungchildrenbutweneedtoaskourselveswhatweretheexpectationsforthemandwhowasresponsiblefortheirtrainingandguidanceAndyesIknowthattherewillalwaysbesomefallout.AsachildbetweentheageofthreeandfouryearsofageIgotholdofaboxofkitchenmatch-esandsetfiretosomeofthecontentsinacloset.AroundthatsameageIhadseenwesternmovieswherecowboyswerebe-inghangedandonedaywhileplayinginthebackyardItookasmallkittenandhungitontheclothesline.ShortlyafterthatIwascalledintothehousetotakeanap.WhenIawokeIwenttoseeifthekittenwasstillhangingtherebutitwasgone.IdidntunderstandwhyandIdonteverremembergettinganyexplanation.Al-thoughmywifeandIarecurrentsupportersoftheDumbFriendsLeagueitisnotspecifictotheforementionedincident.WhenIbecameayoungadultIthoughtabouteachincidentandwastrulyregretfulaboutboth.Irealizedwhattheout-comescouldhavebeenandIbecameapprehensive.Ialsohadthethoughtthatifacathasninelivesmaybeitstillhadafewmoreleft.Isoonhadtoabandonthatthought.IsupposeintodaysenvironmentIatthatsameagemightbeheldaccountableforanimalcrueltyandalsoforarson.Iamstilltryingtounderstandhowwevecometoembraceandenactsomeofthelawsandchallengeswhichwefaceinthiscountry.AndyetdeepwithinIknowtheanswer.Somestudieshavesaidthatthepartofthehumanbrainthatinvolvesriskyactivi-tiesrecklessdrivingthinkingskillsetc.doesnotfullydevelopuntilsomewherearoundtheageof25years.WhenIlookatsomeofusasadultsIthinkthestud-iesmissedthemark.MaybewhenwecometoaplaceinourliveswhenwedecidetoprayforwisdomandknowledgewhichwouldonlymakeusmoreresponsibletootherswealsoneedtoaskGodforcommonsense.Commonsenseinpasttimeswasalsoknownasmotherwit.Ibelievethatthiswouldtrulyimpactourlivesandbenefituspersonally.IhaveoftenthoughtaboutandhaveheardotherslikeALSharptonsayCommonsenseisnotallthatcommonanymore.ThisisevidentthroughoutoursocietytodaywherewehavealsoallowedthosewhoareungodlyandperversetoestablishtherulesforGodlypeople.RememberGodhimselfalreadydidthat.InIITimothy316-17KJVitreadsAllscriptureisgivenbyinspirationofGodandisprofitablefordoctrineforreproofforcorrectionforinstructioninrighteousnessThatthemanofGodmaybeperfectthoroughlyfurnisheduntoallgoodworks.ItappearsthatagreatnumberofbelievershaveabandonedwhatGodhasprovidedforusandhebeingtheExceptionalCreatorisnolongernecessarytousforlifeandliving.Iguesswevecometoknowbetterthanheknows.ForIsaythroughthegracegivenuntometoeverymanthatisamongyounottothinkofhimselfmorehighlythanheoughttothinkbuttothinksoberlyaccordingasGodhathdealttoeverymanthemeasureoffaith.Romans123KJV-WilWilsonWilWilson