became a magician at age thir teen— “ the world’s most promis ing young magician . . . John the Magic Youth.” For his work, John was paid off in cash and free drinks. More and more often he staggered home drunk. A t fourteen John was large fo r his age and older looking because o f his fast life. Thus at fourteen he became a “ man”— a “mechani cal man.” He developed a style o f makeup that made his face look like wax and grew a mustache and sideburns. He worked fo r countless hours developing the walk and jerky movements o f a mechanical man. When he audi tioned fo r a show on the Board walk, he was hired. “ Step closer . . . step closer — se e E l e c t r o , t he mechanical m an !” Those who heeded the barker’s cry little dreamed that the “man” was a fourteen-year- old boy. His act was done to at tract crowds fo r a pitchman who then sold his product. During the summer the schedule called fo r ten-minute a p p e a r a n c e s each hour. Between acts, John killed time in' a nearby bar. A summer or two later, John Fink was back on the Boardwalk, still doing his mechanical-man routine. But drink was getting a stronger hold on him. Finally, on a chilly September night, John took a good look at himself. Drunk as he was, some o f the facts came through : according to the church in which he had been raised, he was headed fo r hell. “ But,” says J o h n today, “ I didn’t know o f any way to change my condition. I was beaten by something within myself t h a t kept driving me the wrong way. All I could see ahead was more o f the same.” He thought o f suicide, and even waded into the ocean intending to take his life. But somehow he couldn’t follow through. A few days later he was on his way to the Canadian National Ex hibition. Electro, the mechanical man, was going to try drawing crowds there. He did, but his in-
WHERE DID THE
woodshed GO?
Richard W . DeHaan Teacher Radio Bible Class
T HERE is one thing I mis in our modern new homes: it’s the old kitchen stove, and the woodbox behind it that had to be filled every morning. An evengreater los in our modern homes, however, is the old- fashioned WOODSHED! Itsonly use was not to be a storehouse for bech and maple stove wood, it was also a “school-room” where often a valuable lessonwas driven home which would not soonbe forgotten. I still believe inthe “woodshed” asthe place to train disobedient and recalcitrant children — especially in the light of our modern pedagogy of “self expression" which fre quently condones the folly of letting a child give vent to all itsemotions. The Bible way is stil best!We have experimented long enough with the wishy-washy, namby-pamby, panty-waist philosophy that we must never spank our children lest we hinder their “ex presion patterns” and cause "damaging frustrations and inhibitions.” As the old say ing goes: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” and the mounting number of
delinquent and teen-age sadists is its own commentary on the effectiveness ofthis new twist in child training. If Johnny is mama’s "little angel,” why then doesheact so much “like the devil”? We hear much about “revival" today, but se little of it. What is needed more than anything elseis an old-fashioned "WOOD SHED REVIVAL!” Unless weas parents learn to practice BIBLE child-training (with the hickory stick, if necessary), things will never get better. We need a revival of well-admin istered "spankings” in a place where you can’t break any bones. If you disagree with me, you don’t believe what God says in Prov erbs13:24; 19:18; 23:13 and 29:17. Let’s get back to God’s Word and the tried-and-true principles of the woodshed! THOT: Realizing that Christian citizens usual ly develop fromwell-disc plined children,my father often proved he was a verypatriotic man:he applied the“stripes” to me and I saw "stars”!
The above is selected from Our Daily Bread, the devotional guide published monthly by Radio Bible Class. This booklet contains interesting meditations, Scripture portions, poems, and a thought for every day of the month— as written by Richard DeHaan, Henry Bosch, Herbert Vander lugt, and thelate Dr. M. R. DeHaan. Your copy is waiting for you, free and postpaid.
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AFF I L IATED WITH B IOLA SCHOOL S AN
OCTOBER, 1968
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