Four times in the Gospel of John we read that Judas was Simon's son (John 6:71; 12:4; 13:2, 26). It must have been bitter indeed for Simon to hear himself so often referred to as the father of Judas. Somewhere in the raising of his son, something was wrong. Many a Christian father today is heading down the same road with his children. The Word of God is crying out to them so as to say, "Dad! What are you doing?"

Dad! Are You the Head of Your Home?

The Bible declares that just as "Christ is the head of the Church" the husband is "the head of the wife" (Ephesians 5:23). The man is to be in charge of his home and his wife is to follow his leading. If she is ordering him around from day to day, he needs to stop and ask himself, "Am I the head of this home?" Little spiritual good for his children will come about in a home where God's order is reversed and the father is a WIMP. A wife ought to be scared to death to fly in the face of God's Word when it plainly says, "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man ... " (I Timothy 2:12).

Dad! Are You Faithful to Your Wife and Children?

Just as the Lord Jesus is faithful in providing for the needs of the Church, the father is to provide for the needs of his family. God has assigned him the task of being the "breadwinner" for his wife and children (Genesis 3:16-19; I Timothy 5:8). His "helpmeet" is the weaker vessel (I Peter 3:7) and is commanded by God to be a "keeper (or stayer) at home" (Titus 2:5). The Lord Jesus is also faithful to his Church and will have no relationship with the Harlot Church (Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 19:2). So also, Dad is to be faithful to his wife. He will not flirt with women at work or waitresses in a restaurant. Any man who is doing such things needs to stop and read Proverbs 5:15-23 where God says, "And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger." An unfaithful father will produce unfaithful children.

Dad! Do You Have a Family Altar?

A Christian father ought to gather his children together for Bible reading and prayer each day. In the old days this was referred to as the "Family Altar." It is still true that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." If we are going to have Christian children we are going to have to show them our total love for the Word of God and our absolute belief in prayer. Oftentimes fathers who will not discard their TV to the rubbish pile will refuse to establish time for the family altar. Dad! Have you read Psalm 101:1-3?

"I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes? I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."

Dad! Do You Spank Your Children?

A man who does not spank his children when they are being disobedient hates them. A father who loves his children will spank them and keep them from going to hell.

"He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." Proverbs 13:24

"Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying." Proverbs 19:18

"Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." Proverbs 22:15

"Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." Proverbs 23:13-14

"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." Proverbs 29:15

Children need to learn that unacceptable conduct brings punishment. It is basic to their understanding of Salvation. A child left to go on in sin without restraint will have little appreciation for One Who came to die for his sins. A child raised without fear of punishment will have little fear of a God who punishes sinners (Romans 3:18).

Dad! Are You Steady at Church?

A father who does not attend all the regular meetings of the church shows his family that Church is not important. It is a fundamental principle that like produces like. When you sow potatoes, you do not reap tomatoes. When you show unfaithfulness to the Lord as He gathers the believers together, you will reap children who are unfaithful to the Lord. At the other extreme there are fathers who let their children sit home while they attend church. Your children should always be with you at church, and they should all sit with you.

Dad! Are Your Children in the Heathen Schoolhouse?

If so, they will learn the "way of the heathen" which God says they are not to do (Jeremiah 10:2). Enroll them in a Christian school or teach them at home. You have been ordered to "train up a child in the way he should go" so that when he is old "he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

The words "TRAIN UP" mean "to narrow" and come from a root meaning "to be narrow." The heathen school has taken more children from Christian Homes to Hell than we can imagine. Dad! It does not cost to send your children to Christian school--IT PAYS. It pays eternal dividends. Cash in your IRA, sell the house, drive an old car, skip the pool in the backyard, work two jobs--but take your children to heaven with you.

Dad! Are Your Children Dating the Lost?

Marrying the lost children of the Devil (John 8:44) sets up an unequal yoke which God has forbidden (II Corinthians 6:14-18). I do not know anyone who got married without first dating. One inevitably leads to the other. Your children should be allowed to date only saved young people, and when I say SAVED, I mean really SAVED. Anyone who gets "saved" so as to date your daughter should be made to wait six months. If they are still around after that time you might let them date (assuming your daughter is at a proper age to date) but only with a chaperone along to ensure everyone keeps their hands to themselves.

The stories of misery coming from "unequal yoke" marriages are too numerous to count. Dad! They are your children and God has made you responsible as the Head of the Home.