Newsletters for Children's ministers.

2011-12-15T01:02:00.000-08:00

Introduction and Contents.

In 2002 I began sending out Newsletters to Children's ministers worldwide, and this Blog contains the teaching material from all my published Newsletters since then.

NOTE. You can now find me on FACEBOOK. Check out my site at :-
http://facebook.com/maurice.sweetsur

NOTE. New Blog from Maurice Sweetsur - "Bible answers for kids" - http://bibleanswersforkids.blogspot.com/

Who made God? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? Why is my brother/sister nasty to me? When did God create the dinosaurs? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Where is heaven? When will the world end? Why do we have earthquakes? Can Christians perform miracles?

These are just a few of the children’s questions that are answered in this Blog.

NOTE. To view the earlier Newsletters, scroll down to the bottom of the page, look under 'Archives' and click on 'September 2004'.

To find out more about my ministry to children in New Zealand, go to my main 'Blog' -
http://www.unclemaurice.blogspot.com/

If you wish to access only Object Lessons (passive, active and illusions), go to http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/

If you wish to access only Bible lessons and Teaching Tips go to http://teachinglessons.blogspot.com/

If you wish to access only stories, skits and puppet plays, go to http://christianstoriesandplays.blogspot.com/

To access "Bible answers for kids" go to
http://bibleanswersforkids.blogspot.com/

To access all my material on major teaching themes, check out the 'Special Blog' sites below :-

1. Creation. http://www.ms-creation.blogspot.com/
2. Christmas. http://www.ms-christmas.blogspot.com/
3. Easter. http://www.ms-easter.blogspot.com/
4. The Bible. http://www.ms-bible.blogspot.com/
5. Prayer. http://www.ms-prayer.blogspot.com/
6. Hearing from God. http://www.ms-hearing.blogspot.com/
7. The Ten Commandments. http://www.ms-tencommandments.blogspot.com/
8. John 3.16. http://www.ms-john316.blogspot.com/
9. Teaching Memory verses. http://www.ms-memoryverses.blogspot.com/
10. Gospel Illusions. http://www.ms-gospelillusions.blogspot.com/
11. Object Lessons (using natural laws). http://www.ms-objectlessons.blogspot.com/
12. Lessons involving balloons. http://www.ms-balloons.blogspot.com/
13. Lessons involving fire. http://www.ms-firelessons.blogspot.com/

To check out my 'Kidzone' site for children, go to http://www.funatkidzone.blogspot.com/

To access previous 'Kidzone' publications, go to :- http://www.kidzonearchives.blogspot.com/

Maurice Sweetsur
mnmsweetsur@xtra.co.nz

"Your articles and ideas ministered to thousands of leaders around the globe. - - - - Your ideas really have made a global impact on children’s ministry!"
- Gary & Ailsa Linn, Children's Ministry Today.

CONTENTS.

Newsletter 82.

T.T. 54 - Playing for God's team.
O.L. 72 - Feeding the 5,000.
Question - Did the Apostle John travel through time?
Laugh Break - "Praise the Lord."

Newsletter 81.

Why does God answer some prayers but not others?
Devotional - When I say, "I am a Christian."
Funzone - "Job requirements" for children's ministry.
- Funmail.

Newsletter 80.

Story - "Whistle down the wind"
Bible Answers for Kids -
What is my purpose in life?
Can Christians perform miracles?
Did people evolve from monkeys?
Was the Universe created with a "Big Bang"?
When will the world come to an end?
Why do we have earthquakes?

Newsletter 79.

Teaching tip 53 - Discipleship.
Embarrassing moments and misunderstandings.
Stories that touch the heart.

Newsletter 78.

Teaching tip 52 - Getting to know your children.
Story - The old oak tree.
A retirement funny.
Serenity.

Newsletter 77.
(Theology for kids - Part 2).

Questions and answers.

1. What proof is there that God exists?
2. Why did Adam and Eve sin against God?
3. If Adam and Eve were white skinned, how did dark skinned people come about?
4. When did God create angels?
5. Where did Cain get his wife from?
6. Did God make cavemen?
7. Why is my brother / sister nasty to me?
8. If I ask God for something, will He give it to me?
9. Do people have more than one life on earth?
10. If God knows the future, does that mean that what is going to happen is going to happen?
11. Do all religions lead to God?

Newsletter 76.
(Theology for kids - Part 1).

Qesations and answers.

1 - Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
2 - Is Jesus really God?
3 - How can I know that the Christian faith is true?
4 - Did God write the Bible?
5 - When is Jesus coming back to earth?
6 - Why does God allow suffering?
7 - Can I be a Christian even if my parents aren't?

Newsletter 75.

T.T. 50 - The Church.
O.L. 36 - The fair distribution of food.
Story - Jesus for tea.
T.T. 51 - The road of life.
Ice breaker - Colour trick.
Kids and love.
"Little Johnny" funnies.

Newsletter 74.
(A 'John 3.16' special).

God's daily blessings.
Teaching John 3.16.
Illustration - Receiving Jesus.
Stories to illustrate John 3.16 :-
1. A soldier gives up his life for his friends.
2. Message in a bottle.

Newsletter 73.
(A 'Bible' special).

Teaching tip - Teaching Bible stories in context.
Story - Jo Jo and the umbrella.
Object Lesson - Obedience brings success.
Object Lesson - Straight and crooked roads.
Object Lesson - Drawing a picture whilst blindfold.
Object Lesson - God's Guidance.
Object Lesson - The flaming Bible.
Teaching tip - The progressive revelation of God.
Fundamental Beliefs - Did God write the Bible?

Newsletter 72.

Teaching top 49 - What children need to understand about God.
Story - "I give you me!"
Ponderisms.
Laugh break - Walking by faith.

Newsletter 71.

What proof would satisfy?
Puppet play - I don't believe in God.
T.T. 48 - The twelve days of Christmas.
A Scientist funny.
An Evolution funny.
A message by George Carlin.

Newsletter 70.

Cuthbert the clock.
O.L. 71 - Drawing a picture whilst blindfold.
"Conversations with God".
A brief Halloween explanation.
Can you read this?
Marriage humour.

Newsletter 69.

Story - Jo Jo and the Umbrella.
O.L. 38 - Obedience brings success.
O.L. 13 - God's Guidance.
A Lie funny.
Maurice's Blog sites.

Newsletter 68.
(A Creation special - Part 2).

Letter to an atheist - A Birdbox and a tree.
T.T. 20 - Creation and Evolution.
Creation or Evolution? - A comparison.
T.T. 47 - Big bang or big mess?
Your questions answered.
(Taken from "Kidzone - Archives" - http://www.kidzonearchives.blogspot.com/ ).
Who made God?
Is there life elsewhere in the universe?
Why did God make us, and the world?
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
When did God create the dinosaurs?
Why is water essential for life?
Why did God use Adam's rib to create Eve?
After Eden

Newsletter 67.
(A Creation special - Part 1).

T.T. 43 - Our amazing earth.
O.L. 20 - Teaching Creation using balloon modelling.
T.T. 4 - Ideas on teaching about Creation.
O.L. 29 - A memory feat.
The vastness of the universe.
O.L. 37 - God can do things instantly.
O.L. 28 - God's provision.

Newsletter 66.

O.L. 70 - Long distance miracles (cutting a banana in half).
Monologue - Esther.
Church funnies.
The Bible and the cell phone.

Newsletter 65.

Consequences of Evolutionary teaching.
Creation or Evolution. Does it really matter what we believe?
T.T. 47 - Big bang or big mess?
O.L. 60 - Separation from God.
A heaven funny.

Newsletter 64.

T.T. 44 - Using Christian songs to teach Biblical truths (Part2).
T.T. 45 - Dead to the world.
T.T. 46 - The day of rest.
A refiner funny.
From a Mathematical viewpoint.

Newsletter 63.

Story - The portrait of the son.
T.T. 44. Using Christian songs to teach Biblical truths.
Laugh Break. George's favourite jokes.
Children's ministry in today's church.
Lessons from Noah's Ark.

Newsletter 62.
(A 'Prayer' special)

T.T. 31 - Teaching children to P.R.A.Y.
T.T. 1 - Getting children to pray in public.
T.T. 2 - How we should pray. A lesson from blind Bartimaeus.
T.T. 12 - The Lord's prayer.
Story - God knows best.
O.L. 53 - Using your fingers as a prayer reminder.
O.L. 52 - Ask and you shall receive.
O.L. 16 - Break in communication with God.

Newsletter 61.

Teaching tip 41 - Symbols of Christmas.
Teaching tip 42 - Commitment to Christ - Two analogies.
Teaching tip 43 - Our amazing earth.
Creation or Evolution?
Devotional - The Calling.
A Puzzle funny.

Newsletter 60.

Jimmy and the six weird witches (Parts 4 - 6).

Newsletter 59.

Jimmy and the six weird witches (Parts 1 - 3).

Newsletter 58.

T.T. 40 - Made in the image of God.
Story - Honouring your parents.
O.L. 67 - The writing on the wall.
O.L. 68 - Using the Mobius loop to teach Memory verses.
Quiz - Who am I?
Church Funnies.

Newsletter 57.

Story - The Little Monkey.
O.L. 38 - Obedience brings success.
Laugh break 2 - Why God made moms.

Newsletter 56.
(A Fire special)

O.L. 65 - The Flaming Bible.
O.L. 17 - Burning bush and fiery furnace.
O.L. 3 - Why does God allow suffering?
O.L. 32 - Facing trials and troubles.
O.L. 25 - Jesus is the light of the world.
O.L. 66 - Candle in a jar.
O.L. 19 - The meaning of the cross.
O/L/ 57 - Our sins are gone forever (Flashpaper).

Newsletter 55.

Story - "Hank" / Object lesson 64 - Jesus cleanses us from sin.
T.T. 39 - Why Christians praise God.
Ice breaker - "Hold your tongue."
Selection from parish bulletins (Part 2).

Newsletter 54.

Play - The water pump.
Object Lesson 63 - Three miraculous signs for Moses.
Teaching tip 38 - The progressive revelation of God.
Selection from Parish bulletins (Part 1).

Newsletter 53.
(An Easter special)

Teaching tip 18 - Jesus Understands.
O.L.18 - What happened at the cross? - Jesus takes away our sins.
O.L.19 - The meaning of the cross.
O.L. 48 - The resurrection of Christ.
O.L. 57 - Our sins are gone forever (Flashpaper).
O.L.25 - Jesus is the light of the world.
Puppet play - "What is Easter all about?"
Elimination Quiz 3 - Easter.
Game 1 - The forgiveness game.
Craft - Making a 'fun' Easter card.

Megan - A testimony.

Newsletter 52.
(A Balloon special)

Balloon game.
O.L. 62 - Jumping on balloons.
O.L. 13 - God's guidance.
O.L. 15 - Little sins grow bigger.
O.L. 27 - Needle through a balloon.
O.L. 32 - Facing trials and troubles.
Game - Forgiving others.
Teaching memory verses.
Teaching tip 6 - Use of balloon modelling in Children's ministry.
O.L.20 - Creation.

Newsletter 51.

Teaching tip 37 - Children are special.
O.L. 60 - We are valuable to God.
Story - The healing of the paralytic (Mark 2. 1-12).
O.L. 61 - Overcoming gravity.
Did God create evil?
Things to learn from a dog.

Newsletter 50.
(A Christmas special)

Puppet play - What is Christmas all about?
O.L. 8 - Receiving Jesus
T.T. 15 - Telling the C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. story.
O.L. 54 - The Christmas tree.
Craft - Making a 'fun' Christmas card.
Elimination quiz - Christmas.
O.L. 25 - Jesus is the light of the world.
A Birthday Celebration.
Newsletter 49.

A story for Remembrance Sunday - Doing your duty.
Teaching Tip 35. Presenting puppet skits and plays.
Play. The Unmerciful Servant.
Teaching Tip 36. Steps to forgiving others.
Important Recall Notice !!

Newsletter 48.
Object Lessons (Physical).
O.L. 2 - Faith (A water experiment).
O.L. 3. Why does God allow suffering?
O.L. 5. Staying in the centre of God's will.
O.L. 7. God's protection.
O.L. 10. Walking on water.
O.L. 12. Straight and crooked roads.
O.L. 13. God's guidance.
15. Little sins grow bigger.
17.Burning bush and Fiery furnace.
19. The meaning of the cross.
23. Standing up under pressure.
24. Defeating evil with good.
27. Needle through a balloon.
31. Discovering your gifts.
32. Facing trials and troubles.
34. The seriousness of sin.
Object Lesson 40. - Samson pad.
Object Lesson 42 - Gravity.
Object lesson 56 - God's protection (Blow paper into bottle).

Newsletter 47.

T.T. 33 - Our lives are on loan from God.
T.T. 34 - Religion or Christianity.
O.L. 59 - The Mobius strip.
Object Lessons (Chemical).

Newsletter 46.

Teaching tip 32 - Peer pressure.
Play - Tenants on the farm.
Object lesson 58 - Saying 'No' to drugs.

Newsletter 45.
(An Illusion special)

Object Lesson (O.L.) 6. Defeating Giants.
O.L. 9. Which way?
O.L. 11. We are special.
O.L. 14. Making the right choice.
O.L. 16. Break in communication with God.
O.L. 22. Miracles.
O.L. 25. Jesus is the light of the world.
O.L. 29. A memory feat.
O.L. 30. The Trinity.
O.L. 33. Can we trust our senses?
O.L. 38. Obedience brings success.
O.L. 40. Samson pad.
O.L. 48. The resurrection of Christ.
O.L. 57. Our sins are gone forever (Flashpaper).

Newsletter 44.

T.T. 31- Teaching children to P.R.A.Y.
Definition quiz.
Story - Doing the right thing.
A Golf funny.

Newsletter 43.

Story - Daniel in the lion's den.
Story - Processionary caterpillars.
Play - Bartimaeus.
A Job funny.
Discipline in class.

Newsletter 42.

Story - DOG / GOD.
Story - Message in a bottle.
T.T. 29 - Memory verses on cardboard discs.
Play - Zacchaeus.
T.T. 30 - Teaching Bible stories as real history.
A success 'funny'

Newsletter 41.

Story - A free pardon.
Story - The true picture of your life.
O.L. 57. Our sins are gone forever (Flashpaper).
World Client.

Newsletter 40.

Teaching tip 27 - New Life in Christ.
Teaching tip 28 - Assurance of salvation.
Monologue - King Neb.
Laugh Break.

Newsletter 39.

Teaching tip 26 - Head belief or heart belief?
- Story of Blondin.
Story - God uses children (Wesley Steelberg).
O.L. 56 - God's protection (Blow paper into bottle).
Things kids say (4).

Newsletter 38.

Teaching tip 25 - The Ten Commandments.
Story - God knows best.
Teaching Children to pray.
Harry Potter mania.
Things Kids say (3).

Newsletter 37.

Story - Feeding the 5000.
Teaching tip 24 - Knowing Jesus or knowing about Jesus?
Testimony - "May I call you - - - "
From the kids.
Riddle.
Things Kids say when praying.

Newsletter 36.

Story - A free pardon.
Excellence in Sunday School.
If children live - - -

Newsletter 35.

Teaching tip 23 - The Good Samaritan.
Play - The Good Samaritan.
Story - Jesus for tea.Love: A paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13.
Why God loves little children.
Humour - Billy Graham.

Newsletter 34.

Teaching tip 22 - The lost son.
Play - The lost son.
Four gifts from the Father.
Story - A modern Prodigal.
Game 1 - The Forgiveness game.
Game 2 - Forgiving others.
Web sites for children.
Things kids say (2).
Sobering Blessings.

Newsletter 33.

Teaching tip 21 - The lost sheep.
Fun story - The lost sheep.
Lost sheep skit.
Seven core values every child needs.
A right funny.

Newsletter 32.

Creation or Evolution. Does it really matter what we believe?
Teaching tip 20 - Creation and Evolution.
Object Lesson 55 - The new birth.
Study finds 'Believers do not train their children' with faith in mind.
Craft 2 - Joined in love.

Newsletter 31.

Teaching tip 19. Teaching Bible stories in context.
1. God's Time Line
2. God's Plan for Man.
3. God's Diary.
4. The Wordless Book.
5. The Seven C's of History.
6. Four words to describe the history of the world.
A Children funny.

Newsletter 30.

Teaching tip 18. Jesus Understands (Easter).
Elimination quiz 3 - Easter.
A love funny.

Newsletter 29.

What do children believe?
Blessings from children.
Teaching tip 17 - Ideas for teaching about Zacchaeus.
The Five Foundations of Children's Ministry.

Newsletter 28.

Teaching tip 16. How God speaks to us.

Newsletter 27.

Teaching tip 15. Telling the C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. story.
O.L. 54. - The Christmas tree.
Craft 1.- Making a 'fun' Christmas card.
Elimination quiz 2 - Christmas.
Fundamental Beliefs 7. The work of Jesus Christ. 2. Jesus took us to the cross with Himself.
A Birthday Celebration.

Newsletter 26.

Helping children cope with acts of terrorism.
Teaching tip 14. What's in a name?
Object Lesson 53. Using your Fingers as a prayer reminder.
Elimination Bible quiz. 1. - General.
Fundamental Beliefs 7. The Work of Jesus Christ. 1. Jesus died for our sins.
Christian one liners.
A job funny.

Newsletter 25.

Teaching tip 13. Teaching Memory verses.
Fundamental Beliefs 6. The Person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st. Century. By Becky Fischer.
10 Myths about children.

Newsletter 24.

Fundamental Beliefs 5. What do Christians believe?
Object Lesson 51. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Object Lesson 52. Ask and you shall receive.
Teaching tip 12. The Lord's Prayer.
Explanation of God by an 8 year old.
A success 'funny'.

Newsletter 23.

Fundamental Beliefs 4. Why does God allow suffering?
Teaching Tip 10. Use of Storytelling.
Teaching Tip 11. What is love?
The letter reference.

Newsletter 22.

Fundamental Beliefs 3. Did God write the Bible?
Teaching tip 9. Noah's Ark and the flood.
Noah Jokes.
O. L. 49. R U E ?
O. L. 50. Trust. a. A mousetrap.
b. Falling backwards.
More Gems from the classroom.

Newsletter 21.

Fundamental Beliefs 2. Is Jesus really God?
Teaching tip 7. Use of Ventriloquism to teach class rules.
Teaching tip 8. Leading children to Christ.
Young children and salvation. By Terri.

Newsletter 20.

Fundamental Beliefs. 1. Did Christ really rise from the dead?
O.L. 48 - The resurrection of Christ.
Teaching Tip 6. Use of Balloon modelling in Children's ministry.
The Paradoxical Commandments - ANYWAY.

Newsletter 19.

Teaching Tip 5 - Developing good habits.
A. Teaching children how to make right choices.
O.L. 46 - Making right choices.
O.L. 47 - Choosing the right friends.
B. Teaching children to be generous givers.
Things Kids say.

Newsletter 18.

Teaching Tip 4 - Ideas on teaching about Creation.
O.L. 41. The earth, sun and moon (Acting out their motions).
O.L. 42. Gravity (Demonstration with a ball and string).
O.L. 43. Can nothing turn into something? (An experiment with an empty jar).
O.L. 44. Dependence on oxygen (Holding your breath)
O.L. 45. "Made after its own kind."(An Acorn example).
Seven reasons why not to mess with a child.

Newsletter 17.

Overcoming discipline problems - by making your lessons fun and exciting.
Teaching Tip 3. (For use with the David and Goliath story).
O.L. 39. Wrestling match (Defeating Giants).
O.L. 40. Samson pad (Defeating Giants).
5 things I have learned about Kids. by Karl Bastian.

Newsletter 16.

Teaching Tip 1 - Getting children to pray in public.
Teaching Tip 2 - How we should pray (A lesson from blind Bartimaeus).
O.L. 38. Obedience brings success (Pencil passes through a handkerchief).
What's wrong with grownups? by Rev. Ong Chooi Seng.

Newsletter 15.

Evangelising children - Your response.
O.L. 36. The fair distribution of food (Involving the children).
O.L. 37. God can do things instantly (Two instant calculations).
Testimony - Miracles do happen!

Newsletter 14.

O.L. 34. The seriousness of sin (Two methods).
O.L. 35. Sin grows rapidly (Two methods).
More classic comments - All from children.
More anecdotes from the doors.
Unusual answers.
Parting comments.
Do children need to be saved? - Evangelist Miller.

Newsletter 13.

O.L. 31. Discovering your gifts (Hidden colors).
O.L. 32. Facing trials and troubles (Balloon, water and fire).
O.L. 33. Can we trust our senses? (Audio and visual illusions).
Anecdotes from the doors.

Newsletter 12.
O.L. 29. Memory feat (Adam's amazing memory).
O.L. 30. The Trinity (An illusion with three ropes).
Classic comments - All from children.
I am a Christian because . . . . . . . ... ...

Newsletter 11.
O.L. 27. Needle through a balloon (Miracles / Testimony).
O.L. 28. God's provision (Dandelions).
Puppet play - How do you get to heaven?
A points funny.
Ice Breaker - A tongue twister.
Newsletter 10.

O.L. 25. Jesus is the light of the world (Trick candles).
O.L. 26. God is all knowing (Five different methods).
What children believe - Results of survey.

Newsletter 9.

O.L. 22. Miracles (Large disc goes through small hole).
O.L. 23. Standing up under pressure (Plastic tops in water).
O.L. 24. Defeating evil with good (paper is stronger than wood).
Gems from the classroom.
The questions Kids ask.

Newsletter 8.

O.L. 20. Creation (Balloon modelling).
O.L. 21. The Trinity (Food colorings).
Ice Breakers.
1. Body challenges.
2. Dumb laws.
3. Advice for kids.

Newsletter 7.

Puppet play - "What is Easter all about?"
O.L. 18. What happened at the cross (A chemical experiment).
O.L. 19. The meaning of the cross (Experiment with a candle, glass and water).

Newsletter 6.

O.L. 14. Making the right choice ('Force' the right card to be chosen).
O.L. 15. Little sins grow bigger (Bursting balloon).
O.L. 16. Break in communication with God (Restore a cut rope).
O.L. 17. Burning bush or Fiery furnace (Flaming cloth is not consumed).
Puppet play - "What is Christmas all about?"
Teaching Memory verses - Diminishing words.

Newsletter 5.

O.L. 12. Straight and crooked roads (Tearing strips of paper).
O.L. 13. God's guidance (A balloon guidance system).
John 3.16.
Story - A soldier gives up his life for his friends.
Teaching on John 3.16.

Newsletter 4

O.L. 9. Which way? (Octagon illusion).
O.L. 10. Walking on water. (Floating pin).
O.L. 11. We are special. (Rope illusion).

Newsletter 3.

O.L. 6. Defeating Giants (Optical illusion with two cards).
O.L. 7. God's protection (Coin is blown into dish).
O.L. 8. Receiving Jesus (Gifts have to be received).

Newsletter 2

O.L. 3. Why does God allow suffering? (Invisible ink).
O.L. 4. Filled with the Holy Spirit (Baking soda).
O.L. 5. Staying in the centre of God's will (Cork floating on water).

Newsletter 1.

Who is Maurice Sweetsur?
Object Lesson (O.L.) 1 - Growing to be like Christ (Fruit in bottle).
O.L. 2 - Faith (A water experiment).

Object Lessons - All Newsletters.

Newsletter Title.

1 Growing to be like Christ (Fruit in bottle). (Object lesson 1)
1 Faith (A water experiment). (2)
2 Why does God allow suffering (Invisible writing). (3)
2 Filled with the Holy Spirit (Baking soda) (4)
2 Staying in the centre of God's will (Cork floating on water). (5)
3 Defeating Giants (Optical illusion with two cards).(6)
3 God's protection (Coin is blown into dish). (7)
3 Receiving Jesus (Gifts must be received). (8)
4 Which way? (Octagon illusion). (9)
4 Walking on water (Floating pin). (10)
4 We are special (Rope illusion). (11)
5 Straight and crooked roads (Tearing strips of paper). (12)
5 God's guidance (A balloon guidance system). (13)
6 Make the right choice (Force the right card to be chosen). (14)
6 Little sins grow bigger (Bursting balloon). (15)
6 Break in communication with God (Restore a cut rope). (16)
6 Burning bush or Fiery furnace (Flaming cloth is not consumed). (17)
7 What happened at the cross (A chemical experiment). (18)
7 The meaning of the cross (Experiment with a candle, glass
and water). (19)
8 Creation (Balloon modelling). (20)
8 The Trinity (Food colorings). (21)
9 Miracles (Large disc goes through small hole). (22)
9 Standing up under pressure (Plastic tops in water). (23)
9 Defeating evil with good (Paper is stronger than wood). (24)
10 The Light of the world (Trick candles). (25)
10 God is all knowing (Five different methods). (26)
11 Needle through a balloon (Miracles/Testimony). (27)
11 God's provision (Dandelions). (28)
12 Memory feat (Adam's amazing memory). (29)
12 The Trinity (Illusion with three ropes). (30)
13 Discovering your gifts (Hidden colours). (31)
13 Trials and troubles (Balloon, water and fire). (32)
13 Audio and visual illusions (Test your senses). (33)
14 Sin is serious (Two methods). (34)
14 Sin spreads (Two methods). (35)
15 The fair distribution of food (Involving the children). (36)
15 God does things instantly (Two instant calculations). (37)
16 Obedience brings success (Pencil through a hankie). (38)
17 Wrestling match (Defeating Giants). (39)
17 Samson pad (Defeating Giants). (40)
18 The earth, sun and moon (Acting out their motions). (41)
18 Gravity (Ball on string). (42)
18 Can nothing turn into something? (Empty jar). (43)
18 Dependence on oxygen (Holding your breath). (44)
18 Made after its own kind (An Acorn example). (45)
19 Making right choices. (46)
19 Choosing the right friends. (47)
20 The resurrection of Christ (Coin through rubber sheet). (48)
22 R U E ? (49)
22 Trust. a. A mousetrap. b. Falling backwards. (50)
24 Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Trying out God's
promises for yourself). (51)
24 Ask and you shall receive (Asking God for our needs). (52)
26 Using your Fingers as a prayer reminder. (53)
27 The Christmas tree. (54)
32 The new birth. (55)
39 God's protection (Blow paper into bottle). (56)
41 Our sins are gone forever (Flashpaper). (57)
46 Saying 'No' to drugs. (58)
47 The Moibus strip. (59)
51 We are valuable to God. (60)
51 Overcoming gravity. (61)
52 Jumping on balloons. (62)
54 Three miraculous signs for Moses. (63)
55 Jesus cleanses us from sin. (64)
56 The Flaming Bible. (65)
56 Candle in a jar. (66)
58 The writing on the wall (67)
58 Using the Mobius loop to teach Memory verses (68)
65 Separation from God (69)
66 Long distance miracles (Cutting a banana in half) (70)
70 Drawing a picture whilst blindfold (71)
82 Feeding the 5,000. (72)

Object Lessons - By Category.

Category. Object Lesson Nos.

Bible. 13, 65, 68, 71.
Character 1, 3.
Christian Living 6, 13, 23, 24, 25, 31, 36, 39, 40, 58.
Christmas 54.
Creation 20, 28, 29, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45.
Easter 18, 19, 25, 48.
Faith / Miracles 2, 10, 17, 22, 27, 48, 61, 62, 63, 67, 70, 72.
God's love 8, 11, 69.
God's omniscience 26.
God's omnipotence 37.
God's promises 51.
God's protection 7, 32, 56
God's provision 6, 28, 39, 40, 42, 44.
Heaven 49.
Holy Spirit 4, 13.
New birth 55.
Obedience 5, 13, 38.
Our senses 33.
Prayer 16, 52, 53
Right choices 9, 12, 14, 46, 47, 69.
Self Esteem 60.
Sin / Forgiveness 15, 16, 18, 19, 34, 35, 57, 59, 64, 69.
Suffering 3, 23, 32.
The Trinity 21, 30.
Trust 50.
Witnessing 9, 25, 27, 66.

Teaching Tips.

Newsletter. Title.

16 Getting children to pray in public. (1)
16 How we should pray (A lesson from blind Bartimaeus). (2)
17 Overcoming discipline problems - by making your lessons fun and exciting.
17 Ideas for teaching the David and Goliath story. (3)
18 Ideas on teaching about Creation. (4)
19 Developing good habits. (5)
A. Teaching children how to make right choices.
B. Teaching children to be generous givers.
20 Use of Balloon modelling in Children's ministry. (6)
21 Use of Ventriloquism to teach class rules. (7)
21 Leading children to Christ. (8)
22 Noah's ark and the flood. (9)
23 Use of storytelling. (10)
23 What is love? (11)
24 The Lord's prayer. (12)
25 Teaching Memory verses. (13)
26 What's in a name? (14)
27 Telling the C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. story. (15)
28 How God speaks to us. (16)
29 Ideas for teaching about Zacchaeus. (17)
30 Jesus Understands (Easter). (18)
31 Teaching Bible stories in context. (19)
32 Creation and Evolution. (20)
33 The lost sheep. (21)
34 The lost son. (22)
35 The Good Samaritan. (23)
37 Knowing Jesus or knowing about Jesus? (24)
38 The Ten Commandments. (25)
39 Head belief or heart belief? (26)
40 New Life in Christ (27)
40 Assurance of salvation (28)
42 Memory verses on cardboard discs (29)
42 Teaching Bible stories as real history (30)
44 Teaching children to P.R.A.Y. (31)
46 Peer pressure (32)
47 Our lives are on loan from God. (33)
47 Religion or Christianity. (34)
49 Presenting puppet skits and plays. (35)
49 Steps to forgiving others. (36)
51 We are valuable to God. (37)
54 The progressive revelation of God. (38)
55 Why Christians praise God. (39)
58 Made in the image of God (40)
61 Symbols of Christmas (41)
61 Commitment to Christ - Two analogies (42)
61 Our amazing earth (43)
63 Using Christian songs to teach Biblical truths. (44)
64 Using Christian songs to teach Biblical truths (Part 2). (44)
64 Dead to the world. (45)
64 The day of rest. (46)
65 Big bang or big mess? (47)
71 The twelve days of Christmas (48)
72 What children need to understand about God. (49)
75 The Church (50)
75 The road of life (51)
78 Getting to know your children (52)
79 Discipleship (53)
82 Playing for God's team (54).

Fundamental Beliefs.

Newsletter. Title.

20 Did Christ really rise from the dead? (1)
21 Is Jesus really God? (2)
22 Did God write the Bible? (3)
23 Why does God allow suffering? (4)
24 What do Christians believe? (5)
25 The Person and work of the Holy Spirit. (6)
26 The Work of Jesus Christ. 1. Jesus died for our sins. (7)
27 The Work of Jesus Christ. 2. Jesus took us to the cross with
Himself. (7)

Testimonies.

Newsletter. Title.

1 Who is Maurice Sweetsur?
15 Miracles do happen.
37 "May I call you - - - "
53 Megan - A testimony.
74 God's daily blessings.
79 Embarrassing moments and misunderstandings.

Puppet plays.

Newsletter. Title.

6 What is Christmas all about?
7 What is Easter all about?
11 How do you get to heaven?
33 The lost sheep.
34 The lost son.
71 I don't believe in God.

Plays / Skits.

Newsletter. Title.

17 David and Goliath.
34 The lost son.
35 The Good Samaritan.
42 Zacchaeus.
43 Bartimaeus.
46 Tenants on the farm.
49 The unmerciful servant.
54 The water pump.

Stories.

Newsletter. Title.

5 A soldier gives up his life for his friends.
17 David and Goliath.
33 The lost sheep.
34 A modern Prodigal.
35 Jesus for tea.
36 A free pardon.
37 Feeding the 5000.
38 God knows best.
39 Blondin (Head belief or heart belief?)
39 God uses children (Wesley Steelberg).
41 A free pardon.
41 The true picture of your life.
42 DOG/GOD
42 Message in a bottle.
43 Daniel in the lion's den.
43 Processionary caterpillars.
44 Doing the right thing.
49 Doing your duty. (A story for Remembrance Sunday).
51 The healing of the paralytic (Mark 2. 1-12).
55 "Hank"
57 The Little Monkey.
58 Honouring your parents.
59 Jimmy and the six weird witches (Parts 1 - 3).
60 Jimmy and the six weird witches (Parts 4 - 6).
63 The portrait of the son.
69 Jo Jo and the Umbrella.
70 Cuthbert the clock.
72 "I give you me!"
78 The old oak tree.
80. Whistle down the wind.

Theology for kids.

Newsletter. Title.

76. Theology for kids Part 1.
77. Theology for kids. Part 2.
80. Bible Answers for kids.

Monologues.

Newsletter. Title.

40 King Neb.
66 Esther.

Crafts.

Newsletter. Title.

27 1. Making a 'fun' Christmas card.
32 2. Joined in love.

Ice Breakers.

Newsletter. Title.

8 Body challenges.
8 Dumb laws.
8 Advice for kids.
11 Tongue twisters.
55 Hold your tongue.
75 Colour trick.

Humour.

Newsletter. Title.

9 Gems from the classroom.
11 A points funny.
12 Classic comments.
14 More Classic comments.
18 Seven reasons why not to mess with a child.
19 Things kids say.
22 Noah Jokes.
22 More Gems from the classroom.
23 The letter reference.
24 Explanation of God by an 8 year old.
24 A success 'funny'.
26 Christian one liners.
26 A job funny.
27 A Birthday Celebration.
30 A love funny.
31 A Children funny.
33 A right funny.
34 Things kids say (2).
35 Humour - Biil Graham.
37 Things kids say when praying.
38 Things kids say (3).
39 Things kids say (4).
40 Laugh Break 1.
42 A success funny.
43 A job funny.
44 A Golf funny.
49 Important Recall Notice!!
51 Things to learn from a dog.
54 Selection from Parish bulletins (Part 1).
55 Selection from Parish bulletins (Part 2).
57 Laugh Break 2 - Why God made moms.
58 Church Funnies.
61 A puzzle funny.
63 George's favourite jokes.
63 Lessons from Noah's Ark.
64 A refiner funny.
64 From a Mathematical viewpoint.
65 A heaven funny.
66 Church funnies.
66 The Bible and the cell phone.
69 A Lie funny.
70 Can you read this?
70 Marriage humour.
71 A Scientist funny.
71 An Evolution funny.
72 Ponderisms.
72 Laugh Break - Walking by faith.
75 Kids and love.
75 "Little Johnny" funnies.
78 A Retirement funny.
78 Serenity.
81 Funzone
82 Laugh Break - "Praise the Lord."

Children.

Newsletter. Title.

9 The questions kids ask.
10 What children believe - Results of survey.
14 Do children need to be saved?
15 Evangelising children - Your response.
16 What's wrong with grownups?
17 Overcoming discipline problems - By making your lessons
fun and exciting.
17 5 things I have learned about kids.
21 Young children and salvation.
25 Redefining Children's ministry in the 21st. Century.
25 10 Myths about children.
26 Helping children cope with acts of terrorism.
29 What do children believe?
29 Blessings from children.
29 The five foundations of Children's ministry.
32 Study finds 'Believers do not train their children' with faith in mind. 33 Seven core values every child needs.
35 Why God loves little children.
36 Excellence in Sunday School.
38 Teaching children to pray.
43 Discipline in class.
63 Children's ministry in today's church.

Witnessing.

Newsletter. Title.

12 I am a Christian because _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
13 Anecdotes from the doors.
14 More anecdotes from the doors.
14 Unusual answers.
14 Parting comments.

Games.

Newsletter. Title.

34 The forgiveness game.
34 Forgiving others.
52 Balloon game.

Quizzes.

Newsletter. Title,

26 Elimination Bible quiz 1 - General.
27 Elimination Bible quiz 2 - Christmas.
30 Elimination Bible quiz 3 - Easter.
37 Riddle.
44 Definition quiz.
58 Who am I?

Devotional.

Newsletter. Title.

20 The paradoxical commandments - Anyway.
34 Sobering Blessings.
35 Love: A paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13.
36 If children live - - -
37 From the kids.
61 The Calling.
71 A message by George Carlin.
79 Stories that touch the heart.
81 When I say "I am a Christian".

Miscellaneous.

Newsletter. Title.

5 John 3.16.
6 Memory verses - Diminishing words.
41 World Client.
51 Did God create evil?
61 Creation or Evolution?
71 What proof would satisfy?
81 Why does God answer some prayers but not others?
82 Did the Apostle John travel through time?

Newsletter 82.

2011-12-15T00:56:00.000-08:00

Newsletter 82

Ministry update.

2011 was another busy year for "Uncle Maurice", giving over 300 presentations at primary schools, family services, Sunday schools, kids clubs, holiday programmes, camps, Girls Brigade companies, and other organizations.

Children in my classes occasionally give me a card or write me a letter expressing their thoughts on my lessons. Sometimes the most common words in these are "Fun", "Magic tricks", "George" (my ventriloquism dummy), "Puppets", "Stories", "Plays" and "Balloon animals".

I am always pleased to know that the children have enjoyed my lessons. However, all these "props" are intended to be simply tools to aid a child's understanding of a Biblical truth. I am, therefore, much more encouraged when I receive a card or letter that indicates that the writer has really understood and responded to my teaching. Here are three recent comments that blessed me :-

"Thank you for teaching me about the Man above and about good and bad. It has changed me and I feel great." ------- Sue-Elyse (aged 10).

"I have learned a lot of values and to respect everyone, even people younger than me." ----- Ying (aged 11).

"I liked how you explained things through tricks." ------ Tim (aged 8).

Contents.

Teaching tip 54 - Playing for God's team
Object Lesson 72 - Feeding the 5,000.
Question - Did the Apostle John travel through time?
Laugh Break - "Praise the Lord."

T.T. 54 - Playing for God's team.

New Zealand recently hosted the Rugby world cup when the twenty best teams in the world came to compete for the Webb Ellis trophy.

Rugby is, of course, a team game. And the object of team games is that all the individual members work together for the benefit of the team. This is because people working together can achieve much more than a group of individuals. If each team member plays their part, the team usually does well. If, however, one player doesn't play the part he was chosen for, or is missing (perhaps having been sent off for foul play), or simply plays badly, then the whole team will suffer.

The idea of teams comes from God. Actually, God Himself is a team. There is one God, comprising three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And, of course, all Three are essential.

Without the Father, there would be nothing. He is the Designer and Creator, so without Him, none of us would exist.

Without the Son (Jesus), we would all still be God's enemies, awaiting His righteous judgement for the sins we have committed. However, the good news is that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross. So now we can be forgiven, receive God's gift of eternal life, and spend eternity in heaven.

Without the Holy Spirit, nobody would have believed that Jesus is the Son of God, The Holy Spirit, although He is a real Person, is also the power of God. God does whatever He wants to do through the power of the Holy Spirit. Without this, Jesus couldn't have healed the sick, raised the dead, or performed any miracles. Jesus could still have died for us but, without the Holy Spirit, He would never have been raised back to life again.

When Jesus came to earth, He didn't try and do all that He had come to do by Himself. No, He chose a team to help him. Firstly, He chose twelve men (Disciples) whom He trained up on how to share God's love with this world. And then He sent them out to do it. Later, Jesus trained up seventy more disciples, before sending them out. In turn these disciples trained more people to share God's love, and so on and so on. This "training and sending out" still continues about 2000 years later. The members of "Team Jesus" now number in the billions and are found throughout the earth. They are usually simply called "The Church".

A good example of "Team Jesus" in action is in the "Feeding of the 5,000". A young boy gave up his lunch of two fish and fives loaves of bread, Jesus multiplied it, and the Disciples distributed it to the crowd. Without the boy, there would have been no food to multiply. Without Jesus, it would have remained just two fish and five loaves. Without the Disciples, it would have been impossible to distribute the food to all those thousands of people.

With every team, sporting or otherwise, you will notice that all the members have different jobs, skills and abilities. Rugby is an excellent example. If you have seen a Rugby team lining up before a game, you will note that the players are all different. Some are tall, some are short, some are muscular, and some are slim - and yet all still members of the same team! This is because they have different tasks to perform within the team. Some players (the locks) need to be able to jump high to catch the ball, some (e.g. the hooker) need to be able to get down low to scrummage for the ball, some (wingers) need to be able to run fast, some (the props) need to be very strong, some (half backs) need to be able to catch and handle the ball well.

It is, of course, important that each player plays in the right position. Imagine a team where the short half backs played as locks, the big burly props played on the wings and a tall lock played as hooker. Such a team would easily be beaten.

Conclusion.

As with Rugby teams, it is exactly the same with God's team, the Church. God has given us all different gifts and abilities. Some may find they are good at teaching, some at giving, some at helping those in need, some at comforting those who are sad, some at making friends, some at leading groups in singing, some at praying, etc, etc. So it is important to find out what you are good at, and then concentrate on doing that for the benefit and the building up of the Church as a whole.

Object Lesson 72- Feeding the 5,000.

One of the most famous miracles performed by Jesus is "the feeding of the 5,000." Here is an excellent object lesson to help children remember this dramatic story.

Equipment.

You will need a pair of Chinese rice bowls. These have been around for many years, and are available from most "Magic" stores.

Lesson.

The basic idea of the bowls is that you fill the first one with rice, place the empty second bowl over the first, remove the second bowl - and the first is overflowing with rice! In other words, the rice has been multiplied. This illusion can be achieved using many different substances as well as rice. This includes bread, which of course, would fit in very well with your story. However, the bowls are quite large and you would need quite a few slices of bread - which also goes stale after a while. Therefore, I have reverted to using rice, saying "If Jesus did this miracle today, he may well have multiplied rice (Probably the most used food worldwide) instead of bread."

Empty all the rice from the bowls. One of the now "empty" bowls then produces a stream of water. You could say "Maybe after eating the food the people were thirsty, and Jesus made some water for them to drink." Produce the water.

You could go even further with the illusion. "Maybe Jesus decided to give the people wine to drink instead of water. In fact, there was another occasion on which Jesus turned water into wine." Direct your stream of water into an "empty" wine glass (actually containing a little food coloring powder - See Object Lesson 21, Newsletter 8). "Actually, it turned out to be the very best wine." Finish by drinking the "wine".

QUESTION - Did the Apostle John travel through time?

God gave a number of people that we read about in the Bible visions of heaven. The most well known are the visions given to the Apostle John that are recorded in the book of "Revelation". Most Christians believe that these visions were God giving John a glimpse into the future of events that will take place in heaven. In other words, the events that John saw haven't actually happened. yet. Personally, I have never been really comfortable with this belief. To me it seems out of character for God to show people something that hasn't happened.

An alternative view is that God enabled John's spirit to travel through time to witness actual events taking place (In the future, from our perspective).

Is time travel possible? Until recently, If you asked that of any physicist, they would have adamantly denied it, quoting Einstein's special theory of relativity. According to this theory, which has been accepted by all physicists for about 100 years, the speed of light (C) is constant, and nothing can travel faster than light. This means that time travel is impossible. Today, however, many physicists are not so sure and are ready to admit that time travel, in theory, might be possible.

This change of beliefs is because some scientists recently conducted experiments that seem to show that subatomic particles, called neutrinos, can travel faster than light. This has yet to be verified, but if it proves to be true, it means that the cornerstone of our understanding of the Universe is wrong and, in theory at least, time travel is possible. Einstein himself stated that if anything could travel faster than light, then time travel would be possible in theory.

So maybe John, and a few others, did actually travel through time to witness actual events taking place in heaven. After all, if anyone could facilitate this, it would be God, Himself.

Laugh Break - "Praise the Lord."

An elderly lady was well-known for her faith and for her boldness in talking about it. For instance, she would stand on her front porch and shout, "PRAISE THE LORD!"

Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, "There is no Lord!!"

Hard times set in on the elderly lady, and she prayed for God to send her some assistance. She stood on her porch and shouted, "PRAISE THE LORD. GOD, I NEED FOOD!! I AM HAVING A HARD TIME. PLEASE LORD, SEND ME SOME GROCERIES!!"

The next morning the lady went out on her porch and noted a large bag of groceries and shouted, "PRAISE THE LORD!"

The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said, "Aha! I told you there is no Lord. I bought those groceries, God didn't."

The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and said, "PRAISE THE LORD!! He not only sent me groceries, but He made the devil pay for them. Praise the Lord!"

[forwarded by Anne Subia]

Newsletter 81

2011-09-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all those of you who responded to my last Newsletter (No. 80). I was very encouraged to hear that my teaching material was still being extensively used. Also, although I haven't added much new material recently, my 'Blog' sites, which contain all my published material, continue to be widely accessed, with them now receiving on average over 6,000 hits per month, originating from over 70 different countries.

All except one of your comments were very positive. However, I did receive one negative comment from a recipient. She wrote :-

"About the Big Bang .. I have found the best way with my grandchildren, with Bible in School, with Sunday school, and teens , to reminds them that the bible is not a science text book.. Every other kind of book, but not science..so answers why, who, when, what, .. but not necessarily how!
So, tell ....... don't get caught up in any argument, discussion, yes, interest, yes, but not argument, (i'm right, you're wrong) about how, rather the big How is how much God loves, How amazing God is."

It is true that the Bible does not claim to be a scientific text book, but it does claim to be the truth. If we cannot trust the first part of the Bible to mean what it says, what justification do we have for believing the rest of it, including the resurrection of Jesus? No. For me, it is a question of "All or nothing." And I choose to believe "all".

I spent over 30 years studying science, and working in the subject (I hold a PhD degree in Food Science). Nothing I have ever read or discovered in the scientific area makes me doubt the truth of the entire Bible. On the contrary, my scientific knowledge simply helps confirm my belief in the authenticity of the Bible.

Contents.

Why does God answer some prayers but not others?
Devotional - When I say, "I am a Christian."
Funzone - "Job requirements" for children's ministry.
- Funmail.

Why does God answer some prayers but not others?

That is a very good question, and one that many people, including Christians, are puzzled over. It is certainly true that some prayers are answered and others are not. For example, one person may be miraculously healed and another not. One person may have his needs totally met, and another not.

Why is this? Some Christians will talk about the importance of having faith, not having any unconfessed sin, forgiving those that have hurt us, honouring your parents, etc. All this is very important as we need to remove any obstacles which might prevent God from answering our prayers. But it is not the complete answer. Some people may truly be "right" before God, but still don't get their prayers answered. Others may not be totally "right" with God, but still see Him answer their prayers.

Other Christians will say that it is not God's will that a particular person be healed - that overall, it would be "bad" for them, or God can use their sickness to keep them humble, enable them grow spiritually, or to encourage others to persevere. Others will say that God may not have healed the body, but He has done an "inner healing" However, these ideas contradict the plain teachings of Jesus. God wants us to be well and prosper in all areas of our lives.

To understand this problem, we need to understand the times we are living in. The Bible teaches that there are three time periods that this earth has or will experience.

1. The Beginning.

God created a perfect earth. Everything (including the first people) was "Very Good." There was no pain, disease, sorrow, suffering, or even death. God used to visit the first people in person. They were the best of friends, and people didn't upset or annoy each other. Everyone got on well together. There were no hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. Animals didn't hunt, fight, kill and eat each other. Weeds, thorns and thistles didn't grow amongst the flowers and crops. In summary, all of Creation was in perfect harmony.

2. "This present evil age."

The first people, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God. Consequently, God put a curse on His creation, and absolutely everything went bad. Thus began what the Bible calls "This present evil age". Every once perfect relationship that people had - with God, with each other, with the rest of creation - was now spoiled.

But God had a plan. He chose a special people called the Israelites, to whom He kept giving some amazing promises. He promised that "This present evil age" would come to an end when He sent His Messiah (Anointed one of God) to earth. The Messiah would usher in "The Kingdom of God", when every "bad" and evil thing would cease, and the earth would be restored to it's original perfect state. God's special people believed His promises and looked forward with expectation to the coming of the Messiah. However, this did not prevent them from suffering great hardships, slavery and persecution in the meantime.

3. The Kingdom of God.

This began about 2,000 years ago when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, died for our sins and then rose again from the dead. You are now probably thinking "Wait a minute. If the Messiah brought in the Kingdom of God 2,000 years ago, why is there still so much badness and evil in the world?" The answer is because we are now living in overlapping time periods. Jesus did bring in the Kingdom of God, but "This present evil age" is still here for the time being. However, the Bible tells us that Jesus will return to earth in the future and bring in the Kingdom of God in it's fullness, doing away with "This present evil age" for ever.

In that day, everything will once again be perfect, just as it was in the beginning. No more getting old, sick, or dying, No more arguments, fights and persecution. No more animals killing each other, weeds in our gardens, or working hard to grow our crops. No more hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. And everyone will know and love God for themselves.

Meantime, because of the present overlapping time periods, we experience a mixture of them both. Some people pray and get healed or have other needs met. Others do not. Some experience many of God's blessings - restored relationships with Him and with each other, joy, peace, health, prosperity etc. Others do not. Some people experience no problems following Christ. Others are still persecuted for their faith in him. Most people alive today will experience a mixture of the blessings of God's Kingdom and the hardships of "This present evil age."

Conclusion.

Until Jesus returns to earth and brings in God's Kingdom in it's fullness, we will always experience a mixture of "good" and "bad". However, the good news is that we don't have to wait until then to have our relationship with God completely restored. We can know and enjoy that today. And there is nothing in life more important than that.

A personal comment.

Shortly after I became a Christian in 1980, I believe that God spoke into my spirit and told me that He had called me to be an apologist. I really believe this was God because at the time I didn't know what an apologist was. I had to look the word up in the dictionary! An apologist is someone who explains why they believe in the Christian faith.

Consequently, I have always concentrated on teaching the Bible, rather than applying (or ministering) it. Over the last 30 years, I can't actually say that I have prayed for that many people in a "one to one" situation. However, I did spend about 12 years in Ayrshire, Scotland involved in "Door to door" evangelism. Of the many people that I encountered, some did ask me to pray for them - for a healing, or some other need. I always agreed, and some stated afterwards that God had met their needs. However, the majority appeared to be unaffected.

This state of affairs used to trouble me greatly. I began to think that there must be something wrong with me - that I was doing something (or not doing something) that prevented God from answering my prayers and meeting the needs of my contacts. Consequently, I became even more reluctant to pray for others.

It was not until I really began to understand the consequences of the fact that we are living in overlapping time periods, that I began to realise that we will not always receive the full benefits of God's Kingdom. But I know that one day, when "This present evil age" is done away with, that we will. Although my understanding of this area is still far from complete, at least I now no longer blame myself when "nothing" appears to happen following prayer.

So be encouraged, if you don't see answers to some of your prayers, it is probably not you that is at fault - it is a consequence of the overlapping time periods that we are living in. Don't give up. Keep on pressing through to God. Forget the times when "nothing" appeared to happen, and remember the times when you were successful.

WHEN I SAY, "I AM A CHRISTIAN"
By Carol Wimmer

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not shouting "I am saved."
I'm whispering "I was lost";
That is why I chose this way.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble,
And need someone to be my guide.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak,
And pray for strength to carry on.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed,
And cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible,
But God believes I'm worth it.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches,
Which is why I speak His name.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority;
I only know I'm loved.

Funzone.

"Job requirements" for children's ministry. (Forwarded by Helen Setser)

a.. Sense of humour is not mandatory, but you won't survive without it
b.. Should be quick to recover when you forget a kids name: a staple of generic names such as 'Buckaroo' or 'Fella' is a must
c.. Even though you would watch them anyways, Cartoons are now considered research.
d.. Having the ability to always tell a joke or fill in time is a major plus
e.. No sense of embarrassment is a plus - especially when doing action songs
f.. Must have the immune system of a robot
g.. Must be able to use random junk as props
h.. Must be able to rig contests so the girls don't always win
i.. Willingness to pray for all sick pets by name
j.. Must be able to "Hold it" until dismissal
k.. Ability to distinguish where "That smell is coming from"
l.. Must be able to come up with 10 games from 1 piece of toilet paper.
m.. Must remember that 'knucks' are 75% more healthy than high fives.
n.. Able to turn all your mistakes into a funny story

Funmail (Forwarded by Derek Sweetsur - we are probably related, but haven't found out in what way yet!)

**A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!"
His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?
The son replied, "I do know!"
"Okay," said his father. "What does the Bible mean?"
"That's easy, Daddy..." the young boy replied excitedly," It stands for 'Best Information Before Leaving Earth.' (This one is my favourite)

=======

There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country.
"Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk.
"Only the Ten Commandments." answered the lady.

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"Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."

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A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter.
Then he put a note under the windscreen wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses."
When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation."

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There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building programme. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets."

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While driving in Pennsylvania , a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humour, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign... "Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust."

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A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?"
A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.
"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.
"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "

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A minister waited in line to have his car filled with petrol just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.
"Reverend," said the young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip."
The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business."

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People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the centre of attention.

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Sunday after church, a Mum asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about.
The daughter answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt."
Needless to say, the Mum was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mum asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about.
He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming."

========

The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to play.
"Here's a copy of the service," he said impatiently. "But, you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances."
During the service, the minister paused and said, "Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected and we need £4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge £100 or more, please stand up."
At that moment, the substitute organist played the National Anthem.
And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!

=====

When you carry the Bible, Satan gets a headache.....

When you open it, he collapses.....

When he sees you reading it, he faints.....

When he sees that you are living what you read, he flees.....

And when you are about to forward this message....

He will try and discourage you.............

I just defeated him..............!!!

................any other takers?

Newsletter 80.

2011-07-13T01:25:00.000-07:00

Contents.

Story - "Whistle down the wind"
Bible Answers for Kids -
What is my purpose in life?
Can Christians perform miracles?
Did people evolve from monkeys?
Was the Universe created with a "Big Bang"?
When will the world come to an end?
Why do we have earthquakes?

Whistle down the wind.

Many years ago, I saw a film called "Whistle down the wind". In it a criminal was on the run from the police. To avoid being captured, he hid in a farm barn. The criminal was later discovered by some children, who asked hin "Who are you?" The man replied, "Jesus". And the children belived him!

Because they thought that Jesus was sheltering in their barn, the children brought the man some food, followed by warm clothes. They even gave him some money. Thus, the children were good to the man because they thought that they were being good to Jesus.

Actually those children were being good to Jesus, because He told us that if we are being good to others, we are being good to Him. There is no difference.

So, if you are good to someone, by giving to them or helping them in some way, you are really being good to Jesus. Conversely, if you are bad to someone, refusing to help them when you can, or by lying, stealing, hitting, gossiping, etc., you are really being bad to Jesus. (See Matthew 25. 31-46).

So treat other people as if they were Jesus. That is what God wants you to do.

What is my purpose in life?

(Much of the material shared here is taken from Norman Warren's book "The purpose driven life").

Why do I exist? Why am I here? What is my purpose? People of all cultures have always searched for purpose and meaning to life, and have asked questions like these. However, the Bible makes the answer quite clear.

It has been said that "The two greatest days in a person's life are the day they are born, and the day they find out why they were born." Everyone reading this has obviously had their first "greatest day", but maybe, for some of you, today could turn out to be your "second greatest day".

God created everything for a purpose. The fact that you are here means that God has a purpose for you. Actually, God has created all of us for FIVE special purposes.

1. God created us for Himself. So that we might enjoy God, and He might enjoy us, both now and forever. Thus, we were made to know and love God.

When we express our love to God, that is called WORSHIP. We can worship God in many different ways, for example, singing a song to Him, talking to Him, admiring a beautiful sunset while giving thanks to God in our hearts, helping someone in need, obeying your parents, etc. etc. WORSHIP, in fact, is anything we do that gives God pleasure.

2. We were created to be adopted into God's family. And God's family is called the church. Everyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ becomes a member of God's family.

The Bible likens God's family to a human body. In other words, every part of the body is important, and is dependent on all the other parts. Thus, our purpose is to work together to see the body (church) strengthen and grow. We do this by loving, praying for, encouraging, and helping each other. These activities are called FELLOWSHIP.

3. We were created to become like Christ. And to know what Jesus is like, you only have to read about Him in the Bible - Totally good, holy, loving, perfect, etc. This growth of us into the likeness of Christ is called DISCIPLESHIP. Discipleship is a lifelong job, and requires our co-operation and effort.

Galatians 5.22 lists nine "fruits of the Spirit" that God wants to see grow in our lives. These are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. God may well place us in environments where these attributes are more able to grow.

For example, if He wants to see more love in your life, He is unlikely to surround you with nice, loving, friendly people. No, you are more likely to meet a lot of annoying, unloving, unfriendly people. In these circumstances your "love" will have more opportunities to grow.

Likewise, if God wants to see more patience in your life, you are quite likely to find yourself in numerous traffic jams or Supermarket queues!

4. We were created for SERVICE, i.e. to serve God by serving others. The Bible tells us that God has actually prepared works for us to do. And if God wants you to do a particular job, He will always prepare you for it beforehand.

God has equipped us for service by giving us a SHAPE This is what makes us who we are, and everyone has their own SHAPE, which makes us unique. Each letter of the word "SHAPE" stands for something that makes us uniquely qualified for the service God has prepared for us to do.

S stands for Spiritual gifts that God has given to us as He wills for the strengthening of His family (the Church). The full list of these nine gifts can be found in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12. These are not permanent gifts, but are given by the Holy Spirit for a particular situation at a particular time.

For example, someone might be given the gift of Prophecy. They hear God's voice, and are thus able to pass on His message to someone that it is intended for. Someone might be given the gift of Wisdom. Thus, they are suddenly able to see God's way out of a difficult situation. Another person may receive the gift of Faith. Thus, he may be praying for someone, and suddenly "know for certain" that his prayer will be answered.

H stands for your Heart. What are you passionate about? What do you really love?

Some of the passions people might have are for teaching children, helping the poor, sick, or elderly, seeing better government etc. Many people have a strong passion for helping people in a different country. Usually a poor one. These passions are given to us by God. We should concentrate on them, and find out how He would have us make a difference in this world.

A stands for Abilities, i.e. the natural abilities that you are born with. These run into the hundreds, e.g. music, sport, languages, mathematics, nursing, teaching, making friends, etc. etc. God wants you to use your natural abilities to serve others.

P stands for PERSONALITY. We are all unique. God has created each of us different, with different personalities. Probably the two best known personality types are the Extrovert and the Introvert.

It is important to remember that whatever a person's personality is, it is not a case of it being "good" or "bad". Rather, it is just the way God intended them to be. Don't try to change your personality. Just be yourself, remembering that God can use a person of one personality in one situation, and a person of a different personality in another situation.

E stands for EXPERIENCES. God allows us to go through many different types of experiences in our lives, some "good" and some "bad". But, having gone through them, we are then in an ideal position to help others who are themselves experiencing similar situations.

Types of experiences may be involving your family, your school time, your job etc. But the most helpful ones will probably be your Painful experiences. Thus, you may be able to help someone who is sick, injured, going through a family break up, having learning difficulties, struggling with a bad habit, etc.

5. We were created to reach others for God. This is called EVANGELISM or MISSION. God wants everyone to know of His love, and He has chosen His family (the church) to make this love known through both word and deed.

God wants us to help the needy, but no matter how much you do so, it is important to remember that you will only be affecting their present lives. On the other hand, Evangelism, telling people how they can receive eternal life, is FOREVER. You could effect a person's eternal destiny. And there is nothing more important than that.

Many Christians are reluctant to tell others about Jesus Christ for fear of rejection. They think "If I tell my friend about Jesus, they may not like what I say - - - - they may not like me for telling them - - - - they might stop being my friend". If you feel like that, what you should do is pray and ask God to fill you with love for your friend. That is because God promises us "Perfect love drives away fear". In other words, love and fear can't both exist at the same time. And if you are truly filled with love for a person, your greatest desire will be for them to know Jesus for themselves. Then, God is well able to direct you as to the best way to share His wonderful love with them.

In summary, our five purposes of life are :- WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, DISCIPLESHIP, SERVICE, and EVANGELISM.

Can Christians perform miracles?

Jesus raised the dead, healed the sick, and performed many other miracles. Many people believe that Jesus was able to do this because He was actually God. Well, He certainly is God, but He is God who became a man. When Jesus came to earth, He left his divine (Godly) qualities behind in heaven. During His 33 years on earth, Jesus was fully human, restricting Himself to do only what other humans can do.

According to the Bible, Jesus didn't perform any miracles during the first 30 years of His earthly life. However, after He was baptised in the river Jordan by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. Thereafter, Jesus began His miraculous ministry - not because He was God, but because of the continuing indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

The exciting thing for all followers of Jesus is that this same Holy Spirit which filled Jesus is available to us! And that is why there are numerous examples today of miracles and healings being done through ordinary Christians. They are achieved through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, Jesus once said "If you have faith in me, you will do even greater things than I." (John 14.12). Your first thought may be "Greater things!" Surely no human could do "Greater things" than Jesus? But a closer examination will show that even some "Greater things" have in fact been done by some Christians. I will give two examples.

1. In his 3 years of ministry, how many people did Jesus personally preach to, see them respond, and enter the Kingdom of heaven? We can only make a very rough estimate but, as the population was much less 2,000 years ago than it is today, it is unlikely to have been more than a few thousand. However there are many Evangelists, such as Billy Graham and Reinhard Bonnke, who have seen tens of thousands of people respond to Jesus and enter into the Kingdom of heaven IN ONE EVENING!

2. How many people did Jesus raise from the dead? There are 3 or 4 cases mentioned in the Bible (although there may have been a few more which were not recorded). However there are reports of Christians, such as Smith Wigglesworth, raising as many as 20 people from the dead.

These are some of the "even greater things" that Jesus talked about.

Did people evolve from monkeys?

There are only two explanations for how you, and all other human beings, came into existence.

The Bible tells us that an eternal, all wise, all powerful Creator made the first of every different kind of living creature, pretty much as we find them today.

The second explanation says that mankind started out thousands of millions of years ago when some kind of accident caused non-living material to change into a very tiny living animal. This tiny animal (which despite its size, we now know to have been extremely complex), then changed slowly over the years to become every living thing that has ever lived, including you. This theory is called evolution (See Diagram).

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Suppose for a moment that a 'big bang' did result in the production of a lot of non-living chemicals. (See "Was the universe created with a big bang?) How did these then turn into living creatures? No human has ever created something living from something not living, but evolutionists must believe that this actually happened at least once by random, chance processes.

Can we test these two contrasting ideas as to how we all came to be here? There are two ways we can test which one is more likely to be true.

1. Ask "Is evolution happening today?" The answer is obviously "No." We never observe one kind of creature changing into a different kind. Thus, cats always give birth to cats, dogs give dogs, potatoes give potatoes and carrots give carrots etc. etc.

2. Is there any evidence to show that evolution ever happened in the past? Again the answer is "No." Fossils are a collection of 'dead things' - creatures and plants that lived and died in the past. But the fossil record shows clearly defined species, with no evidence of one type of creature changing into a different type. If evolution were true, we would expect to find billions of transitional (intermediate) forms. But they are just not there.

There have been a number of claims that 'intermediate' forms have been found (e.g. ape-men), but on further inspection they have proved to be false. So-called ape-men, for example, have subsequently been shown to be really either apes, men, or fraudulent hoaxes (e.g. Pilkdown man).

Science is concerned solely with what is happening in the present. It cannot tell us anything about what happened in the past. So when it comes to the origins of things, we move into the realm of speculation and personal faith. Ultimately, the question is "Who are we going to believe? Fallible men who weren't there in the beginning, or God who is the only one who was there?"

For more teaching on Creation and Evolution, see my 'Creation' Blog at www.ms-creation.blogspot.com

Was the Universe created with a "Big bang"?

The Universe, and everything in it, is real. That is a fact, But how did it all come into existence? There are only two possible explanations. Either Someone created it (i.e. God). Or, it must have all made itself.

Our common sense tells us that everything we see (e.g. our clothes, shoes, watch, pet dog etc.) must have been made (created) by someone. That is why most people believe in God - the Creator of the Universe, earth, and the first of all the different types of living creatures).

Some people, however, deny the existence of God. This is usually because THEY DO NOT WANT TO BELIEVE IN HIM. For to do so means that if they admit that God made them, it follows that He owns them, and has a right to tell them how they should behave. These people don't like that idea, so deny that God exists, mistakenly thinking that therefore they can set their own rules for life and basically live however they choose.

People who deny the existence of God (Atheists) need therefore to try and explain how everything came into existence without a Creator. Simply put, they have to believe that the Universe created itself out of nothing. (To believe that actually requires a lot more faith than to believe in a Creator!). So how then do atheists explain how the Universe, and everything in it formed? The only idea they have come up with is called Evolution, which was first made popular by Charles Darwin about 150 years ago.

Evolutionists use the idea of a 'big bang' to try and explain the beginnings of the Universe, even though none of them were there to see what actually happened! They say that first of all there was absolutely nothing. Then, around 15 billion years ago, the universe was born in a searing hot fireball which we call the 'big bang'. Everything - all matter, energy, space, time - came into being at that precise instant. As the fireball expanded it formed lots of hydrogen gas, which spread out and filled the universe. Then the clouds of hydrogen gas started to pull themselves together by gravity. These clouds got hotter and hotter until they formed stars. Then some of these stars exploded and formed all the other elements like carbon and oxygen, These elements cooled and began to "freeze out." growing into galaxies, containing stars such as our sun. Then about 4 billion years ago the earth was formed. About 500 million years ago life began spontaneously on earth.

However nobody can explain how all the energy and matter contained in the billions of stars in the universe was somehow there, condensed into a single point, which suddenly 'exploded'. Where did the first energy come from? How could it all have been contained in a single point? What made this point explode? And who ever heard of an explosion making order and design? What happens when fireworks explode? You certainly get a bang, but all you have left is a big mess!

There are lots of sound scientific reasons why the big bang idea is wrong, could not work, and simply did not happen.

It is far easier, in fact, to believe that Almighty God made the sun, the moon, the stars and everything in the universe the way He says He did in the Bible.

When will the world come to an end?

Over many centuries, many religious people have made predictions of when this world will end. Some have given a specific year, and others have even predicted the exact day and time. Needless to say, they have all been wrong so far - because we are all still here!

The Bible does tell us that the earth (as we know it) will be completely destroyed one day. But before that happens, there is another important event that will take place. Jesus will return to earth for those of us who are trusting in Him. The return of Jesus will then set in motion a train of events, which will then result in the world's destruction.

When Jesus was on earth the first time, about two thousand years ago, he was asked when he would return? Jesus told his questioners that he didn't know, and that only God, the Father knew the exact time.

It seems to me that if even Jesus doesn't know when he will return, it is very unlikely that any human being will know the time! The Bible, in fact, tells us that the return of Jesus will be a surprise. His return will be unexpected - nobody will be looking at the clock, waiting for him.

The Bible tells us that before Jesus returns, the conditions will have to be just right. Certain things (or signs) will have to happen first.

1. The "major" sign is that the Jews will return to their biblical homeland of Israel. The Romans destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in 66 AD and began persecuting the Jews. As a result, these people were scattered throughout the earth for almost 2,000 years. However, in 1948, the present nation of Israel was re-established, and many Jews subsequently returned to their ancestors' ancient homeland. Thus, "Sign 1" has already been fulfilled.

2. There will be an increase in wars, wickedness and violence throughout the world. Most people will agree that this is true "today". Things are getting worse and worse.

3. There will be an increase in natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tsunamis, etc. Most will agree that this is true today.

4. The Gospel (Good news about Jesus Christ) will be shared with all the world's different people groups. This "sign" has not yet been fulfilled. Technological advances over the last century, with the invention of such things as radio, television and the internet, has seen a great increase in the spread of the Gospel. However, there are still many people groups in remote areas of the earth that have still not had an opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel. Jesus will not return until the church has completed this task.

5. Many Christians believe that another "sign" will have to take place before Jesus returns. And that is the rebuilding of God's Temple on its original site in Jerusalem. This remains unfulfilled.

Therefore, don't be misled by future "prophets" who predict the timing of Jesus' return, or the end of the world. When Jesus does return, He will do so unexpectedly.

Why do we have earthquakes?

This is a question that many New Zealanders have been asking. The city of Christchurch suffered a major earthquake in September 2010, followed by another one in February 2011 - with consequent fatalities totalling almost 200, and much property damage. Many aftershocks have also rocked the region.

I have heard many 'experts' express their opinions as to why earthquakes occur - but none of them have been really satisfactory. However, we will have a look at some of the reasons that have been proposed. I will group their opinions into three main sections.

A. Some 'experts' talk mainly about the physical causes, and leave God out of their reasoning. They point out that the crust of the earth (on which we live) sits on tectonic plates of rocks, which in turn float on very hot molten metal in the core of the earth. As these plates are slowly moving they collide with each other, producing a massive release of energy in the form of earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

A good way of understanding this is to imagine a kettle full of water, which is being heated up. When the water gets very hot, it will release energy in the form of steam, which will usually be released through the kettle's spout. However, if the kettle had no spout, it would eventually explode. In the same way that a spout is a kettle's release valve, volcanoes and fault lines where tectonic plates collide, act as release valves and thus prevent more severe and widespread devastation. However the question "Why is the earth like this?" still needs to be answered.

1. Atheists deny the existence of God, and thus believe that the earth must have been made by random, chance processes. They, quite rightly, point out that if the earth was made in this way, it was very unlikely to have been made perfect, and thus earthquakes, etc. should not really be a surprise to us. However atheists deny the fact that EVERYTHING has to have a creator. Absolutely NOTHING can make itself.

2. Some 'experts' believe in a Creator, but say that He must have not got it quite right when He made the earth, hence its imperfections. However the Bible tells us that God is perfect, and that thus He can (and did) only make perfect things.

3. Some 'experts' say that God did make the earth in the beginning, but that He doesn't really care what happens to it. However the Bible tells us that God does care. In fact, He cares passionately about everything He has created.

B. Some 'experts' believe that God actually causes earthquakes (and other natural disasters) as punishment for people's bad behaviour or rejection of Him. They point to God's judgements in the Bible, such as Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God is a God who judges sin. However, before God ever judged anyone with a disaster, He always gave the people many warnings, and provided a place of safety for those who trusted him - as He did at the time of Noah's flood. In the case of the Christchurch earthquakes, for example, no warnings seem to have been given, and no place of safety provided. Thus "Believers" suffered alongside "Unbelievers". It is inconceivable that God allowed His own people to suffer just so that He could punish the "Unbelievers".

The Bible does talk about a future Judgement that will come upon the earth. But He has already provided a place of safety for those who trust in Him - and that is through the cross of Jesus. Anyone truly trusting in Jesus, and what He did for us on the cross, will be safe. Many Christians believe in fact that "Believers" will be taken off the earth before this final judgement.

C. Some 'experts' say that although God does not cause earthquakes, He could stop them if He chose to. However, He chooses not to prevent them so that "Good" can come from them.

There is certainly some truth in this, as very often "Good" follows natural disasters. In the case of the Christchurch earthquakes, for example, much "Good" followed in two main areas.

1. Neighbours in the city became more caring, helpful and loving to each other. Also many from outside the city gave up their time, talents and money to help in the recovery process.

2. Following the earthquakes many became scared. They began to realise the uncertainty of life, and turned to God to find answers and security. Following any natural disaster there is always an immediate increase in church attendance.

This is all "Good", but the actual cause of the earthquakes remains unexplained.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

I am sure that all these 'experts' gave their explanations with the best of intentions. However, they have one thing in common - None of the explanations (or at least none that I have heard) have taken into account what the BIBLE actually says! Personally, I am not too interested in what people say. But I am very much interested in what the Bible says. Because what the Bible says is what God says - AND HE SHOULD KNOW!

The Bible tells us that in the beginning God made a PERFECT world. Everything was "Very good". However, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, droughts, diseases, etc. are NOT "very good".

Something has obviously gone horribly wrong with God's "perfect world". And the Bible tells us what it was. The very first people, Adam and Eve, rebelled against their Creator. This rebellion was so serious that God put a curse on the earth. And EVERYTHING was affected by this - people, animals, plants. Even the earth itself. The Bible, in fact, talks about the earth "groaning" (a good description of an earthquake) until Jesus returns to make a new earth, and everything is restored to its former perfect state.

All "Bad" things on the earth, whether they be natural disasters, diseases, wars, murders, theft, etc., etc. can be attributed to mankind's original and ongoing rebellion (sin) against our Creator. The Good News, however, is that God still loved mankind so much, He sent his Son, Jesus, to deal with our sin problem once and for all. This Jesus did when He took our sins upon Himself on the cross. This means that we can all be reconciled to God now. And sometime in the future, the remainder of creation will also be reconciled (made new).

CONCLUSION.

The Bible tells us that this present condition of the earth will get worse and worse until Jesus returns to abolish all "Bad" things. So, until that day comes, the only safe and sensible thing people can do is to make sure that they are trusting in Jesus.

Newsletter 79.

2009-08-14T01:48:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 79 from Maurice Sweetsur

Contents.

Teaching tip 53 - Discipleship.
Embarrassing moments and misunderstandings.
Stories that touch the heart.

T.T. 53 - Discipleship.

Jesus' final command to us was to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28.19), and this obviously includes children. Although there is much teaching available on how to lead children to Christ, I haven't come across much on how to disciple them. The following are some ideas that you could use in discipling young Christians. I am not suggesting that you share all the teaching ideas given here. You will have to be selective, but remember that the three important points that children need to understand are Certainty, Confession and Continuance.

What is a Christian?

Many children have false ideas of what a Christian really is. They will often talk about someone "Being good", or "Going to church", etc. They need to understand that a Christian is someone who has repented of their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ.

I use the following illustration :- I write on the board

Christ - in - person = Christian,

explaining as I do so that that is what a Christian is - a person in whom Jesus Christ is living, because He has been invited to do so.

I then teach on the three main aspects of discipleship - Certainty, Confession and Continuance.

Certainty.

I show and explain John 1.12 "To all who received him, He gave the right to become children of God.", stressing the need to receive God's gift of Jesus if we are to become part of His family. I emphasize that, if they have received Him, they are now part of God's family, not because of how they may feel, but because God says so " To all who receive Him - - - - - ."

I encourage the children to make a note of the date (their second birthday) that they became part of God's family, Then (or the next time I see the child) I will do something dramatic that the child will remember so as to help assure them of their salvation. I say "Watch carefully what I do next." I then stand up, walk around, return to my chair and kick it over. I say "I kicked over that chair. That is a fact. On the (date) at (place) I (Mr Sweetsur) kicked over a chair, and nothing can ever change that fact. In years to come, I might forget that I did it. But if I did forget, does that mean that it never happened? No, of course not. It happened. Or someone may come to me and say "Oh Mr Sweetsur, you're not the sort of person that goes around kicking over chairs." And I might agree with them and deny that it happened. But if I did, does that mean it didn't happen? No, of course not. Even if I denied it, it still happened. That is a fact that can never change.

In the same way if you have received Jesus into your life, that is a fact. It happened and, even if you forgot it or denied it (which of course I hope you don't), nothing can ever change that. You are a child of God - because God says so! - God promised that if you received Jesus , you would become His child. As God cannot break His promise, and you received Jesus, you are now His child."

Some children who have received Christ may wonder if they are still Christians if they have subsequently done something wrong. A good verse to teach them is 1 John 1.9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." No matter what we may do, God is always willing to forgive us, and clean us up - if we are genuinely sorry.

Illustration 1.

I have a son and, because he is my son, he will always be part of my family. He is just as much my son when he has been bad as when he has been good. I don't like it when he is bad, but he is still my son and I still love him. It is just the same with God's sons and daughters. If you have received Jesus into your life, you are part of His family, no matter whether you have been good or bad. Of course God doesn't like it when we do wrong things, and we may have to ask Him to forgive us and help us do better in the future. But we are still family!

Illustration 2 - "The true picture of your life".

A Christian once had a dream in which he died and went to heaven. There to greet him was St. Peter, who gave him a quick tour of his beautiful new home. Then St. Peter said "Do you like videos?" Rather puzzled, the man replied that he did. "Good" said St. Peter "I am now going to show you a video of your whole life." St. Peter led the man into a sumptuous room, made sure he was comfortable, and left him to watch the video.

The video really was of the man's life, beginning from soon after he had been born. At first the man enjoyed watching it because it showed him interacting with all his old friends, most of whom he hadn't seen for many years. The video showed all the acts of kindness the man had shown, beginning from when he was only a young boy - sharing his toys, including others in his games, helping out at home and at school, comforting people when they were sad, giving money towards good causes, spending quality time with his children etc. etc. As the video progressed, however, the man began to feel rather uneasy.

The video concluded, and St. Peter returned. "Did you enjoy the video of your life?" he asked. The man replied "But that wasn't a true picture of my life. It showed all the good things I did, but it omitted all the bad ones. It's an edited video. It isn't a complete picture of my life." "Oh yes it is", replied St. Peter "When you did do bad things, the moment you said 'sorry' to God, they ceased to exist. And you can't make a video of something that doesn't exist!" What you just saw really is the true picture of your life.

Confession.

Jesus said "If you tell others that you belong to me, I will tell my Father in heaven that you are my followers. But if you reject me, I will tell my Father in heaven that you don't belong to me." Matthew 10. 32,33. (See also Romans 10.9). Confessing our faith in Christ to others is so important. By doing so it seals in our hearts the commitment we have made to Christ.

I instruct children to tell at least one other person that they have received Jesus into their lives. I encourage them to choose as the first person they tell another Christian, or at least someone who is likely to by sympathetic to the decision they have made. This is because I have known children who have confessed their new found faith, and got a cold or even hostile response - which seriously undermined their new fledgling relationship with Christ.

Continuance.

Children need to be taught that their new relationship with Christ is for eternity. The following object lesson is ideal for teaching that newly-born 'baby' Christians need to grow.

Object Lesson - Growing to be like Christ (Fruit in bottle).

This takes a long time to prepare, but is well worth the effort.
While a fruit ( a lemon or orange is ideal ) is still very small and attached to its tree, place a narrow-necked bottle over it and tie to branch. Leave in place until the fruit has fully grown inside the bottle. Remove bottle containing the fruit and show to your class.
Ask "How did I get this fruit inside the bottle?" A few children may work it out, but most won't. Explain how you did it, stating that the tiny fruit had all the potential to grow into a large fruit, but that it needed food to grow. This food (sap) was all provided by the tree. Use this as an analogy for the newly born-again (or baby) Christian who has all that is needed to become the person God wants them to be, but needs to grow. Our food is God's Word (plus prayer and fellowship etc.).
Ask "What would have happened to the baby fruit if I had cut the twig attaching it to the branch while it was still small?" Answer. It would not have grown. In fact it would have withered away and died. Again use the analogy of the baby Christian who does not feed on God's Word.
The way to grow.
1. Prayer.
Teaching tip - Teaching children to P.R.A.Y.

Here is a simple prayer pattern that you can teach children so as to help encourage them to get into regular prayer habits.

Preparation. Get a piece of cardboard, and write out the four words as shown below, ensuring that the first letter of each word is larger than the others.

Praise
Regrets
Ask
Yourself

Cut and fold the cardboard in such a way that you can show the word 'PRAY' on its own, and then in turn unfold the remainder of each word as you talk about it.

Teaching. Prayer is talking to God, and I can't think of anything that God likes better than when we do this. We can talk to God anywhere, anytime, and about anything. The most important thing about prayer, however, is that it should be regular. Set aside a few minutes every day to talk to God. Most people find that the best time of the day to do this is either first thing in the morning, or last thing at night, before they go to bed. These are times which you can easily remember, and you are less likely to be interrupted.

There are basically four different types of prayer, and if you remember the word 'P.R.A.Y.' it will remind you of them. You can use this as your prayer pattern as you talk to God.

P stands for 'Praise'. (Unfold the card to reveal the first word). Praise is talking (or singing) to God about God. You could pray something like "God you're good, loving, wonderful, awesome etc." Praise also includes thanksgiving. I am sure you can all think of a lot to thank God for - Your lives, His gift of Jesus, your families, friends, school, etc.

R stands for 'Regrets'. Think back to the last time you prayed, and ask yourself if there is anything you regret - anything that you have done, said, or even thought that you are sorry about. If there is, ask God to forgive you, and He well. Then ask Him to help you do better next time.

A stands for 'Ask'. We can ask God to help others. We can pray for our family, friends, anybody at all and ask God to be with them and meet their needs. The Bible particularly says that we should pray for those in authority over us, e.g. parents, teachers, those in government. If you don't know their particular needs, you could ask God to help them make good choices.

Y stands for 'Yourself'. God encourages us to come to Him and ask for our needs. In fact, Jesus promised that He would give us all our needs. What are some of the things we need? That's right, food, water, clothes, homes, families to look after us, peace (if we are troubled), joy (if we are sad), love (if someone is annoying us), patience (if we are waiting for something). However, God did not promise to give us everything we want - our wants are different from our needs. God likes to bless us, and there is nothing wrong in asking Him for whatever you want. But He knows what is best for you, and will never give you something that would be bad for you. Therefore, His answer to your request might be Yes, wait, or no. (You could do the well known traffic light illustration here).

Conclusion. Let's all say aloud together the four different types of prayer.

P stands for - - - - - Praise.
R stands for - - - - - Regrets.
A stands for - - - - - Ask.
Y stands for - - - - - Yourself.

Application. Following on from this teaching, I often get the children to write out a prayer along the lines I have described. I emphasise that if they do not wish to write a particular type of prayer (e.g. Regrets) that is alright. Finally, I encourage them to conclude by actually praying their prayer.

2. Bible reading.

Encourage the children to become regular Bible readers, explaining that it is God's love letter to us. For new converts, I encourage them to start their reading with the Gospels.

The Bible is important to us for four main reasons:-

1. It is a book about God.

The Bible is a book that God has written about Himself. So if you want to know what God is really like - Go to the Bible, because nobody knows God better than God knows God!

2. It is a book about ourselves.

The Bible is a book that God has written about us. It is often likened to a mirror. If you want to know what you are like on the outside, you look in a mirror. But if you want to know what you are really like on the inside (what the Bible calls your heart or spirit) - Go to the Bible, because God created you and knows you better than anyone else.

3. It is an instruction book for life.

God knows what's good for you, and He knows what is bad. If you keep going to the Bible, and doing what it says, you won't go far wrong in life. But if you never look at the Bible, or ignore what is says, you are bound to make mistakes and go off in wrong directions through life.

4. It tells you how to become God's friend.

God created us to be His friends - so that He can enjoy us, and we can enjoy Him, both now and forever. And the Bible tells us how through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we can all become God's friends.

3. Church attendance.

Encourage the children to go regularly to a Bible-believing, Christ-centred church, if at all possible.

Why go to church?

1. God tells us to (See Hebrews10.25).

It is a question of obedience. If Jesus is Lord of your life, that means that you are obedient to him. You can hardly say "Jesus, you are my Lord, but I am not going to do what you tell me!" Of course not. You would be contradicting yourself. If that was your attitude, then Jesus wouldn't really be Lord of your life.

"I enjoy going to church regularly, but even if I didn't, I would still go - because Jesus is my Lord, and I have to be obedient to him. Most of you children probably come to church or Sunday school because your parents bring you, or send you along. But when you are older, you will have to decide for yourselves. But if you are serious about living for Jesus, then regular church attendance should be a priority."

2. To meet together as a family / team.

Everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is now part of God's special family. And families meet together, and do things together. It would be a very strange family indeed if the members hardly ever saw each other, or never did things together, like sharing a meal!

Another way of looking at this is to realise that now we are all part of God's team to help bring about His Kingdom on earth.

"Suppose I were to tell you that I was a soccer player. You might reply, "You are, which team do you play for? Manchester United? Real Madrid?" If I replied "I don't actually play for a team", you would say "Oh, come on teacher, you can't be a soccer player and not play for a team." And you would be quite right. In the same way, you can't really be a true Christian and not be part of a local team, or church."

Imagine many coals burning brightly together. Suddenly one of the individual coals falls away from the fire. What will happen to it? Answer. It will burn less and less brightly until eventually it goes out and becomes cold. That is a typical 'picture' of the individual Christian who comes away from the Church and tries to live for Jesus on his own. He will grow cold, and probably give up his faith altogether. We all need the help, support and encouragement of other church members. In the Bible, there is no such thing as an "Individual Christian".

3. To help find God's plan for your life.

God has a special plan for each one of you which is far more wonderful than any plans you may have for yourselves. By going to church, you will meet people who will help you discover what God wants you to do with your life.

4. To help you on your way to heaven.

God wants us all to live with him in heaven. However, our journey to heaven can be a long and dangerous one. We have enemies who don't want us to get to heaven, but by going regularly to church, we can find out how to beat them.

What does the church do?

1. Worship God.

The word 'Worship' is derived from the word 'Worth'. God is indeed worthy of all we can give him. Without God, we would have nothing. In fact we wouldn't even be alive. Everything we have comes from Him. Christians realise this and meet together to give back to God a little of what He has already given us. This might include thanks, praise, love, money, etc.

2. To continue the work of Jesus.

A. Telling others about Jesus.

Jesus wants EVERYONE to know about Him, and what He did for us all on the cross. And He has chosen His church (every believer) to spread this GOOD NEWS throughout the whole earth. It is exciting to be part of this because Jesus promised that when every group of people have heard this GOOD NEWS, then He will return to earth and set up His Kingdom.

B. Demonstrating God's love.

It is no good telling people that God loves them if, at the same time, we don't demonstrate His love by helping others in whatever ways we can.

Jesus loves everyone, but when He was here on earth, He was particularly concerned for the poor, the sick, the weak, the oppressed and the elderly. As part of His church, we should likewise be especially concerned for these groups.

Although the church is not perfect, and has made mistakes, generally, over the last 2,000 years, it has been effective in demonstrating God's love to the world. Much of what is good in society today has been started by the church. Examples include many early schools, universities, hospitals, and organizations such as the scouts, guides, boys and girls' brigades.

It has also been the church that were first to speak out against evils in society such as slavery, child labour and racism.

The church is not only concerned with what is happening in it's own neighbourhood or even country. It also has a good record of sending resources (including people and money) to help the needy in "poor" countries. You may have heard of agencies such as World Vision and Tear Fund which are involved in this.

As someone once said "The church is the only organization which exists for the benefit of it's non members."

Note. You may wish to conclude by giving a few examples of what your church is doing to reach others for Jesus and help meet their needs.

4. Copy Jesus.

God wants us to make right choices. Here is a simple way of remembering how we can do this:- Write out the word S.T.O.P.

S. Stands for "Stop" before you decide.
T. Stands for "Think." What would Jesus do, if he was me? Jesus is our supreme example of how to live our lives. I still find the once-popular W.W.J.D. (What would Jesus do?) bracelets useful in teaching children to follow (copy) Christ. Usually the answer to W.W.J.D. is obvious!
O. Stands for "Obey" the Bible. If what you are thinking of doing is contrary to what the Bible teaches, it is always a wrong choice.
P. Stands for "Pray" and ask Jesus for help. If you have gone through the first three steps (S.T.O.) and are still unsure as to the right choice, ask Jesus to guide you. After praying, if you feel at peace about a certain direction, go ahead and take it. On the other hand, if you feel anxious or worried, then this is probably the wrong direction.

Conclusion.

I would want young converts to Christ to really understand the following five truths:-

1. God is always there. Wherever we go, God is always right there with us.

2. God always answers prayers. His answer may be "Yes", "No", or "Wait", but He will always answer us.

3. God always understands. No matter what is happening in our lives, no matter how we feel, God always understands about us.

4. God always forgives. No matter what we may have done, God will always forgive us if we are really sorry.

5. God always loves. We can never stop God loving us, because "He is love."

Embarrassing moments and misunderstandings.

Over the last sixteen years I have had the pleasure of taking over 6,000 'Bible' lessons for children. Fortunately the vast majority of these have appeared to go well, but I recall a tiny proportion of my lessons (less than 0.2%) where things didn't go exactly according to plan. I am sharing these occasions with you as we can all learn from our mistakes, and sometimes have a laugh about them later. I have classified them into two categories - Embarrassing moments and Misunderstandings.

Embarrassing moments.

I usually include at least one illusion or object lesson in my lesson, and any teaching involving "equipment" has the potential to go wrong.

1. Once I opened up my "Flaming Bible" at the start of my lesson in front of about 100 children. Unfortunately, I was standing too near a smoke detector. The fumes from my "Bible" set off the alarm, with the consequent evacuation of the entire school of around 500 children to the playground, and the prompt arrival of a fire engine! By the time it was all over and the children were allowed back inside, there was just time for me to apologise and say "Goodbye." Fortunately, I was forgiven as I have been invited back to that school on subsequent occasions.

2. When teaching on "Faith", I often use my object lesson No. 2 (Faith, a water experiment). In this, I place a piece of cardboard over the top of a glass of water, hold the glass upsidedown, and invite children to put their faith in the invisible air which is holding up the cardboard by walking under the glass. This has always worked well - except once, when the cardboard came away, and a boy got an unexpected shower!

3. When I first started teaching "Bible" to children in schools, I was allocated, probably because I was a man, a really unruly class. I think I was only taking my second lesson, when two boys started fighting. My solution? Transfer the problem! I sent them outside. A few minutes later, two more boys started fighting. I told those two to leave the room as well. And then in my exasperation I added "And if any of you other children can't behave and want to leave the room, you can do so right now." To my horror, nearly all the remaining children got up and walked out. I was left to continue my lesson with only about four out of the original thirty children! Fortunately, we are able to learn from our mistakes.

4. At the beginning of one lesson, the children were taking a long time to settle down. There was a low 'murmuring' in the background. I couldn't detect exactly where it was coming from, so I gave two or three general warnings. The murmuring continued. Finally, I said something like "Will the person who is talking stop it right now, or there will be trouble." Suddenly, I located the source - it was the class teacher! A second teacher had come into the class, and the two of them were having a hushed conversation in the corner of the room.

5. I had been teaching one school class on how Jesus wants us to follow (copy) him. To illustrate the point, I concluded the lesson by getting the children to follow me by copying everything I did. I did such things as standing, sitting, waving my arms, hopping, jumping, walking around, etc. The children participated enthusiastically, but then the bell went to end the lesson. I said "Sit down and wait quietly for your teacher to return." Their response was "Sit down and wait quietly for your teacher to return!"

I stood up and walked to the door. The children stood up and followed me to the door. I said "Don't be so silly. The game is over. Sit down and wait for your teacher." They replied "Don't be so silly. The game is over. Sit down and wait for your teacher."

I thought "Well, at least when I leave the classroom, the children will realise that the game is over." I went through the door and started walking down the corridor. About half the class followed me. I said "Get back to your classroom before you get in trouble." Their response? That's right. "Get back to your classroom before you get in trouble!"

I thought "When I get outside the school building, the children will cease following me then." How wrong I was. They followed me out of the building and across the playground. I quickened my pace. So did the children. I made one last appeal to them to return to their classroom - with the usual response. I was getting desperate. Should I lead the children back to their classroom and explain to their teacher, who had probably returned by now and was wondering where half her class had gone, what had happened?

I rounded a corner, and practically bumped into the headmaster. That definitely was the end of the game. I have never seen children move so fast as they scurried back to their classroom!

6. I encourage children to ask questions. Most of these have been fairly easy to answer, although I can recall a few difficult ones. The most notable concerned "stranger danger."

I had been teaching a class on the Ten Commandments. One boy asked "I know the Bible says "Do not lie", but what about stranger danger?" I asked him to elaborate. He replied "Suppose I was home alone, a stranger knocked on my door and asked if I was on my own? Do I tell him the truth, or do I lie and say "Oh no, my dad's in the back room?" I can't recall my exact reply, but I know that it wasn't really satisfactory to either the boy or myself. In fact, I am still not sure how I would respond to a similar question today. I might talk about the difference between lying and giving a "false testimony", but I am not sure how I would explain that to a child.

7. Undoubtedly my most embarrassing moment occurred not in a "Bible" class, but rather during a Dinner for Bible teachers. After our main course was complete, we all had to go to a separate room to fetch our desserts. I helped myself and headed back towards what I thought was the direction of the dining room, holding my dessert bowl in front of me. As I did so, I noticed a man walking directly towards me. I moved to my right to avoid a collision. But the man moved to his left. We were still on collision course. I muttered "Sorry" and moved to my left. The man moved to his right. We were very close now and still on a collision course. Was the man playing a silly game with me? Suddenly my dessert bowl made contact. There was a loud "Clonk." This was now beyond a joke. For the first time, I looked up into the man's face. To my utter astonishment, I found that I was looking at myself. The man was me! I had been trying to walk through a full length mirror!

Misunderstandings.

Children can easily misunderstand what people say to them. To do my best to avoid this in my classes, I try to be careful what I say and use simple words. Unfortunately, a few misunderstandings seem to be inevitable.

1. I once told a school class that they should obey their parents. Their class teacher took exception to this and told the headmaster what I had said. He called me into his office and explained that many of the parents of children in his school were so bad, their children should not obey them! And I was not to encourage them to do so.

2. Sometimes it seems that you just can't win. Following the above experience, I modified my teaching and began to tell children that they should obey their parents, as long as they did not ask them to do something that broke God's laws, like stealing, hitting or lying. However one parent heard about this and came to the school to confront me. He said that his daughter should obey him. Period! No matter what he told her to do! I think that in the end, we agreed to disagree.

3. I often do Gospel illusions to illustrate particular Bible truths. However, I always try to ensure that the children realise that I am not doing "magic", but simply tricks. However, I was told that one mother went to a school board meeting, uninvited, to announce that "Mr. Sweetsur is teaching the children magic." I was called to see the headmaster to explain what I was doing. As it turned out, that mother's son should not have even been in my class. He had been withdrawn from 'Bible' at the start of the sessions. However, he noted that his classmates were enjoying their lessons so much, that he came in to see for himself, witnessed one or two illusions, and concluded that it was magic!

4. I was once teaching a class about the ways in which we humans are different from animals. Among the differences that I listed was the fact that animals don't were clothes. I added that if we were just highly evolved animals, then there is no reason for us to wear clothes. Unfortunately, evolution has such a stronghold in the minds of some people that despite teaching to the contrary, they still hold it as a fact. Consequently, one child went home and told her parents that Mr. Sweetsur said that we shouldn't wear clothes! They, in turn, complained to the school, and I was called to explain myself.

5. I was talking to a class about what people believed two thousand years ago when Jesus was on earth. I said that if a child was born disabled in some way, many people believed that it was because their parents had done something wrong and that God was punishing them for it. I went on to stress that we now know that that belief was completely wrong. Unfortunately, one girl must have stopped listening half way through my talk, and went home to tell her parents that I said that if a child was born disabled it was because God was punishing their parents for some sin.

That girl's parents believed her, and as they had another child who had been born disabled, naturally became upset. They complained to the school, and withdrew the girl from my Bible class. Despite my trying to explain what I had actually said, she was not allowed back in.

Conclusions.

Sometimes things don't go exactly as planned in our classes. On occasion this may be our fault. Other times it seems to be completely out of our control. The important thing is to learn from our mistakes and move on. Most of my above 'mistakes' actually occurred during my first few years of teaching children, so it appears that I have learned something from them. I have shared quite a long list of my own embarrassing moments and misunderstandings. These have sometimes led to rebukes or criticism, but I also remember the many, many positive comments and letters that I have received from children, parents and teachers over the years. And these encourage me to keep "sowing the seed" into young lives.

Maurice Sweetsur

Stories that touch the heart.

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once
Talked about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the
Contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was:

A four-year-old child, whose next door
neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his
wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old
Gentleman's' yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his mother asked him what he had
said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, 'Nothing, I just
Helped him cry.'

*********************************************

Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were
discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture
had a different hair color than the other members.. One of her
students suggested that he was adopted.
A little girl said, 'I know all about
Adoption, I was adopted..'

'What does it mean to be adopted?', asked
another child.
'It means', said the girl, 'that you grew
in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!'

*********************************************

On my way home one day, I stopped to
watch a Little League base ball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first- base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was
'We're behind 14 to nothing,' he answered
With a smile.
'Really,' I said. 'I have to say you
don't look very discouraged.'
'Discouraged?', the boy asked with a
Puzzled look on his face...
'Why should we be discouraged? We haven't
Been up to bat yet.'

*********************************************

Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot
in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott.

Jamie was trying out for a part in the
school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen.

On the day the parts were awarded, I went
with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her,
eyes shining with pride and excitement. 'Guess what, Mom,' he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me....'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.'

*********************************************

An eye witness account from New York
City , on a cold day in December, some years ago:
A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.
A lady approached the young boy and said,
'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!'
'I was asking God to give me a pair of
shoes,' was the boy's reply.
The lady took him by the hand, went into
the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.
She took the little fellow to the back
part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.
By this time, the clerk had returned with
the socks.. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes..
She tied up the remaining pairs of socks
and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.'
As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her.
'Are you God's wife?'

Newsletter 78.

2009-07-09T02:55:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 78 from Maurice Sweetsur

I have recently posted some 'cool' pictures on "Kidzone", my web site designed for children. You can view them at :- http://www.funatkidzone.blogspot.com/

Maurice Sweetsur

Contents.

Teaching tip 52 - Getting to know your children.
Story - The old oak tree.
A retirement funny.
Serenity.

T.T. 52 - Getting to know your children.

I always count it a great privilege to be able to share the Christian faith with precious children. I am mindful, however, that a long time after they have forgotten most of what I have said, they will remember me. They will remember what I was like. Did I care for them? Was our time together a 'fun' time? Was I interested in their lives? Did I really get to know them? Was I their friend, confidant and advisor? Or, was I "just another teacher"?

I am sure that we all agree that it is important to try and form relationships with the children that we teach. If you teach Sunday school or Kids church, it may be possible to spend time with your children after or before your lessons, and thus get to know them better. It may even be possible to meet with some of your children outside of a 'church' setting.

In New Zealand and Australia some primary schools are still open for Christian teachers to go in once a week to teach Biblical truths. This is very rewarding, as the majority of the children we teach children would not otherwise have any opportunity to hear about the Christian faith. In some of these schools it is possible to spend a short time with the children before or after the half-hour lesson. In most cases it is not. Thus, we are confined to getting to know the children during our allocated teaching slot. This is not always easy but it is worth the effort because, if you know "where the children are at", you will be able to adapt your lessons to be more in line with their needs and Biblical understanding.

I will share some ways that I have used in these settings to at least get to know what the children believe, and what their concerns, hopes and interests are.

1. Get the children to ask questions.

We spend a lot of time teaching children what we think they should know. But do we spend any time teaching them what they really want to know? The only way to find this out is to encourage them to ask questions. I find, however, that many children are reluctant to ask questions in front of their classmates. Therefore, on occasion, I will give all the class a blank sheet of paper each and ask them to write down any questions they have, explaining that I will answer them all the following week. This gives me time to consider my answers and, if necessary, check them out with the Bible. It is very rare for a child not to ask a question, and very often they ask multiple questions.

It may sound "impossible" to be able to answer all the questions in 30 minutes the following week. But I have found that many of the questions are the same or very similar (e.g. Who made God?). And for children, a short, uncomplicated, answer usually satisfies. I have shared some of the questions that I have been asked in Newsletters 9, 76 and 77.

Sometimes children want to know about you, and ask questions like "Why do you believe in God?", "Why are you our Bible teacher?" and "How long have you known the Lord?" These give you an ideal opportunity to share your testimony if you consider it appropriate to do so.

2. Use of a Christian survey.

If you wish to know what your children believe regarding God, Jesus, the Bible, etc., the best way is to ask them! And a simple (anonymous) survey is ideal for this.

About 15 years ago I started to teach "Bible" to children in state primary schools, with the vast majority of them coming from non-Christian homes. I wondered what influence we "Bible in school" teachers were having on the children. Were their beliefs falling in line with the Bible, or were the children still being largely influenced by their parents and guardians ?

Between 1998 and 2000, I chose six classes from four different schools in South Auckland for my survey. Thus a total of about 180 children participated. They were all in the age range 10 to 13, and all had previously attended weekly Bible classes for at least two years.

Results of my survey are shown below. I consider it to be a fair indication of children's beliefs in this area of Auckland, although there is always the possibility that some of the answers were made to "please teacher" rather than expressing what they really believed. For comparison, results of a survey - asking exactly the same questions - conducted among about 400 adults in the same area as two of the schools, and therefore probably including some of the children's parents, are shown. For further comparison, results of a similar survey of over 2,000 adults made between 1985 and 1990 in Ayrshire, Scotland are also included.

Results.

Children Adults - N.Z. Adults - Scotland
1. What would encourage more people to go to church ? (%) (%) (%)

Closer friendships 26 14 3
Livelier services / More relevant preaching 23 15 30
More participation 19 5 7
More social activity 12 18 10
Other Ans. 12 13 1
Don't know 8 35 49

2. Do you believe in God ?

Yes 79 82 82
Not sure 21 11 11
No 0 7 7

3. Who is Jesus, according to your belief ?

Son of God 70 58 58
A good man 9 22 20
Other Ans. 8 7 7
Don't know 13 13 15

4. Why did Jesus come to earth ?

To die for our sins 74 42 42
To teach us 9 15 15
To save the world 9 13 13
Other Ans. 8 30 30

5. In your opinion, how does a person become a Christian ?

Believe in Christ as personal Saviour 40 43 19
Believe in God 36 20 23
Lead a good life 2 12 24
Other Ans. 22 25 34

6. What do you believe will happen to you when you die ?

Heaven 70 49 40
Reincarnation 11 6 5
Afterlife (unspecified) 8 13 18
Cease to exist 2 5 14
Other Ans. 1 0 2
Don't know 8 27 21

7. What qualifies you for heaven ?

Faith in Jesus 53 14 14
Living a good life 16 67 67
Church membership 9 0 1
Other Ans. 6 6 5
Don't know 16 13 13

8. If you could know God personally, would you be interested ?

Already know God personally 20 35 10
Yes 58 42 74
No 4 2 13
Not sure 18 21 5

Conclusions.

1. The answers of the two adult groups were remarkably similar (especially for some of the questions). This probably reflects the fact that the average regular church attendance in New Zealand and Scotland is similar (between 5 and 10 percent). The majority of people still think that "living a good life" is what qualifies you for heaven.

2. For most questions, the answers given by the children were more "Biblical" than those given by their parents and neighbours, the most notable exception being on how a person becomes a Christian.

3. We cannot assume that just because we teach Biblical truths, the children will necessarily come to share our beliefs. Parental and peer pressure are obviously still strong influences.

4. Although the school "Bible" classes are having a positive influence on the beliefs of the children, we could perhaps still do better in explaining what a Christian is, and how we can have a personal relationship with Christ.

Note. Although I have not done so myself, it may be a good idea to conduct a survey when you first start teaching your children, and then do the same survey again a year later, or whenever you finish teaching them. This will be a real test to see how effective you have been in imparting Biblical truths!

3. Throwing their worries on Jesus.

1 Peter 5 v. 7 says "Throw all your worries on him, because he cares for you." I often teach this verse to children alongside the story of David and Goliath (see Newsletter 17).

I then explain that that there are many "giants" or worries that people have in their lives, e.g. another person who is giving them a hard time, a bad habit, or a fear (e.g. of the dark, nightmares, flying, dying, snakes, spiders, dogs etc.). I get the children to write out the names of their giant(s) on a piece of paper. Then, as I lead them in prayer, at the appropriate time, I get them to crumple up their papers (giants) and throw them on Jesus - imagining Him to be standing at the front of the class. I conclude by emphasising that because Jesus now has their giants, they have them no more.

I usually look at the children's (ex) giants afterwards. These are always illuminating. Very few children write a bad habit (or sin) down as their giant. Even if they have had Bible teaching to the contrary, most still consider such things as lying, selfishness, greed, envy, disobedience, etc. as 'normal' behaviour. The most common bad habit that is written down is actually "swearing".

Often children will write down the name of another person as their "giant". Usually this is a sibling, or a class bully. But sometimes it is a parent, or even their class teacher!

However, by far the greatest number of "giants" are fears. Many children list multiple fears, with dogs, snakes, spiders, the dark and nightmares being the most common. Interestingly. many children in a particular class cite the same fears as each other. In one school that I teach at, I know that "fear of dying" will always be a very common "giant". In all other schools, this particular fear hardly ever gets a mention!

4. Writing about themselves.

If you use Bible "Activity sheets" then a good question / activity to include is to get the children to write something special about themselves. I think that their answers often reflect their parental upbringing. Some obviously have a very low self esteem and may write "There is nothing special about me". In contrast others give a long list of their interests and achievements, many stating that "mum" or "dad" say they are "Beautiful" or "Very smart".

Some years ago, one little nine year old girl chose to answer this question with a drawing. Her picture was of a girl, a woman and a man. However the man appeared to be holding what looked like a gun. I asked the girl about this, and our conversation then proceeded along the following lines.

"I am the girl, the woman is my mother and the man is my dad."
"Is your dad holding a gun?"
"Yes, he got out a gun and said that he was going to shoot me and my mum."
"What happened?"
"My mum's boyfriend fought with my dad and took the gun off him."
"What happened after that?"
"My dad was sent to prison, but when he got out we all (including her mum's boyfriend) had to move house so my dad couldn't find us."
"What do you think of your dad now?"
"I hate him and fear him. I will never forgive him for what he did."
"Jesus said that we should forgive each other."
"Yes, I know. But what my dad did was so bad I will never be able to forgive him!"

There may be some children in your classes that have gone through traumatic experiences. You may not be aware of who they are, but at least you can share God's love with them. You can tell them that there is a God in heaven who knows and cares about them. And no matter what situation they may be in, He will never stop loving them and is well able to bring them through to victory.

Story - The old oak tree.

Many of you will know this story as it has been around for many years in various forms. It was actually the inspiration for the hit song "Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree" that was a big hit for Tony Orlando and Dawn in 1973. This is the version of the story that I use. I have found it ideal for teaching children about the extent of God's love for them.

A young man appeared to have an ideal life. He had a good job, a nice home, a loving wife and two adorable sons. There was nothing he liked better than spending tome with his family, and especially playing with his two boys.

But there was something wrong with his life. He was greedy. He thought that his boss didn't pay him enough money. So he began to steal money from the company he worked for. Just a little at first, and then more and more. Eventually, he had stolen quite a lot of money. He thought he had got away with it but, returning home one day, he saw a police car parked outside his house. He immediately realised that he had been found out.

The man was put on trial, pleaded guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment. He was genuinely sorry for what he had done, and deeply ashamed for letting down his family. "They will never forgive me" he thought as he was led off to prison. "They are better off without me. What will our friends say to my wife when they find out what has happened? How will my sons be treated at school?" Right then that man made a decision to cut himself off from his family. "I have only brought shame to them. They will be better off without me."

Shortly after arriving in prison the man received a letter. He knew from the handwriting that it was from his wife, but he didn't open it. He was no longer part of her life. He kept on receiving letters from his wife, frequently at first, then less and less until, after about a year, they stopped coming. He didn't open any of them.

After three years, the Prison Governor called the man into his office to say that, because of his good behaviour, he was to be released the following week. Normally this would have been good news, but not for that man as he had nowhere to go on his release. He suddenly remembered his wife and sons and how good it used to be living with them. He wondered if in some way they might be willing to forgive him and take him back as their husband and father.

So the man hurriedly wrote a letter to his wife, explaining that he would soon be released, and wondering if she and their sons were prepared to forgive him and allow him to come back home. He explained that he would be on a bus that would pass right through their town and added "If you can find it in your heart to forgive me and take me back home, tie a handkerchief around a branch on that old oak tree at the front of our home. If I see a handkerchief when the bus passes, I will know that you have forgiven me and that I will be welcome. But if I don't see one, I will remain on the bus, and you will never hear from me again."

Release day came and, along with other prisoners, he boarded his bus. The other prisoners were happy upon their release, but the man was looking sad as he wondered if his wife would take him back. He was asked why he looked so sad, and explained the whole story to the other passengers. Many of the original passengers left the bus, but others took their place and were told the man's story. Many hours later, as the bus entered the man's home town, all the passengers knew his story and were eagerly looking to see if a handkerchief was tied round that old oak tree.

The bus turned a corner and entered the street where the man used to live. He eagerly looked out of the window at the old oak tree. But he didn't see one handkerchief - - - - - He saw hundreds and hundreds of them! Every branch on that large tree was covered with handkerchiefs.

That man's wife had never stopped loving him. She had forgiven him straight away for what he had done, and longed for the day when he would be allowed to return home. She was bitterly disappointed when he didn't reply to her letters. But when she finally did hear from him, it was the happiest day of her life.

Immediately she selected the largest handkerchief she could find and tied it on one of the oak tree's branches. But the handkerchief looked so small compared to that large tree. Suppose her husband didn't see it and stayed on the bus? She got her sons to help and rounded up all the material they could find to tie on the branches. But still she wasn't satisfied. She really wanted her husband to know how much he was loved and how very welcome he was. So she went to her neighbours and got more material from them. By the time the bus arrived, the whole tree was covered with material. No-one could possibly miss it.

In the same way God wants us to know how much he loves us and is willing to welcome us into His family. To understand how much He loves us, he asks us to look at another tree. No, not an oak tree, but a tree on which he allowed his Son, Jesus Christ to be crucified for our sins. When we really look at that tree, we know just how much God loves us.

A Retirement funny.

A local priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish. A leading local politician and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and to give a little speech at the dinner.

However, he was delayed so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited:"I got my first impression of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a television set and, when questioned by the police, was able to lie his way out of it. He had also stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his employer, had an affair with his best friend's wife, and taken illicit drugs. I was appalled."But as the days went on I learned that my people were not all like that and I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full of good and loving people."

Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies for being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and said: "I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived. In fact, I had the honor of being the first person to go to him for confession."

Moral: Never, never, NEVER-EVER be late.

Serenity.

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked, 'How old was your husband?' '98,' she replied, 'Two years older than me' 'So you're 96,' the undertaker commented. She responded , 'Hardly worth going home, is it?

Reporter interviewing a 104-year-old woman: 'And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?' the reporter asked. She simply replied, 'No peer pressure.'

The nice thing about being senile is You can hide your own Easter eggs.

I've sure gotten old! I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, New knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes. I'm half blind, Can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, Take 40 different medications that Make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia .. Have poor circulation; Hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can't remember if I'm 89 or 98. Have lost all my friends. But, thank God, I still have my driver's license.

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, So I got my doctor's permission to Join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour.. But, by the time I got my leotards on, The class was over.

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.

These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, “For fast relief”

THE SENILITY PRAYER :

Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, The good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference..

Now, I think you're supposed to share this with 5 or 6, maybe 10 others.. Oh heck, give it to a bunch of your friends if you can remember who they are! Always Remember This: You don't stop laughing because you grow old, You grow old because you stop laughing!!!

Newsletter 77

2009-06-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

Theology for kids (Part 2).

Children ask some really interesting questions. Every month, in my Blog site for children (Kidzone - http://www.funatkidzone.blogspot.com/ ), I answer a question that I have been asked by a child. In Newsletters 68 and 76, I shared some of these questions and answers. In this Newsletter I share eleven more answers to children's questions.

Contents.

1. What proof is there that God exists?
2. Why did Adam and Eve sin against God?
3. If Adam and Eve were white skinned, how did dark skinned people come about?
4. When did God create angels?
5. Where did Cain get his wife from?
6. Did God make cavemen?
7. Why is my brother / sister nasty to me?
8. If I ask God for something, will He give it to me?
9. Do people have more than one life on earth?
10. If God knows the future, does that mean that what is going to happen is going to happen?
11. Do all religions lead to God?

What proof is there that God exists?

Many of our prominent political leaders today say that they do not believe in God, citing "lack of proof" of God's existence as the reason for their unbelief. I have tried to put myself "in the shoes" of these people and asked myself that if I genuinely was seeking proof of God's existence, what proof could God give me that would convince me that He is real? I came up with the following four proofs that God could give to convince me of His existence.

1. Creation. If God is real, I would ask Him to create something, out of nothing, that I could see with my own eyes and touch with my own hands.

2. Communication. I would ask God to communicate with me, perhaps by sending someone, or even writing to me, to tell me things like what He is like, why He made me, what His plans are for me, and if there is there is life after death.

3, Revelation. I would ask God to reveal Himself to us by visiting planet Earth in person. When He was here, I would ask Him to prove His power by doing things we humans cannot do, and that defy the natural laws of the universe. Things like multiplying matter, defying gravity, commanding nature (such as storms) to obey Him, commanding the sick to be healed and the dead to come back to life.

4. Finally, if God were real, I would ask Him if He really loved us humans, and to do something to demonstrate how much He loves us.

I cannot really think of any other proofs that God could give to convince us that He is real. But surely those I have listed above are more than enough. If God did all that, surely nobody could still doubt His existence. The proof would be irrefutable! But then I remembered - GOD HAS ALREADY GIVEN US THOSE FOUR PROOFS!

1. We only have to look around us to see the vast number of wonderful things that have been created (If there is no Creator, they must have created themselves, beginning with nothing. And to believe this requires an unreasonable faith!). - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19.1.

2. God has sent us many messengers to tell us about Himself - they were usually called Prophets. And He has written us a letter that tells us all we need to know to live our lives the right way. It is called the Bible. - "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways." Hebrews 1.1. "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3. 16,17.

3. Two thousand years ago, God did visit this planet in person. We called Him "Jesus". And while He was with us, He did stop or suspend the natural physical laws that govern the universe. We called these mighty acts "miracles". "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples." John 20.30.

4. God did demonstrate how much He loves us by allowing Himself to be crucified on a wooden cross. "God demonstrates his love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5.8.

I must conclude that God has given us many proofs of His existence. Enough, I would suggest, to convince any person genuinely seeking the truth. Yet many still deny His existence. No, the problem is not with God, it is not a lack of proof. Rather, the problem is with people. Many refuse to believe. To do so would mean that they would have to admit that they were responsible to a Higher Authority, and our selfish nature naturally rebels against that. Jesus put it like this "You refuse to come to me that you may have life (John 5. 40). Or, as the old proverb says. "There are none so blind as those who do not want to see."

Why did Adam and Eve sin against God?

The Bible tells us that in the beginning God made a perfect world, and that His finest creations were people. The first people (Adam and Eve) were made in God's own image or likeness (See Genesis 1 v. 26).

God could easily have made Adam and Eve like robots, so that they were programmed to obey him. But He wanted someone much better than that. He wanted people that would obey and love Him, but because they wanted to. Not because they had to. Thus, God gave people free will - the ability to choose. Thus Adam and Eve could choose to love and obey God, or they could choose not to love or obey Him.

Well, we all know what happened. Adam and Eve made the wrong choice - they disobeyed and rejected their Creator. But when people make bad choices, there is always a consequence, a price to be paid. Probably you have made some bad choices. Perhaps you chose to disobey your mum or dad, for example. And then found that there were consequences for it. Maybe you were punished!

There was a terrible consequence for Adam and Eve's bad choice. God placed a curse on the earth, and the whole world became "bad".

We still see the results of this today all around us. BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS. God still loved His creation and had a plan to make things "good' again. He sent His Son to die on the cross. Now, if we put our trust in Jesus, we are forgiven all our wrongdoing and bad choices. Not only that, Jesus is able to come into our lives and make us clean and new on the inside. Now, although we can still choose to make bad choices, we are much less likely to do so as our desire now is to please God, rather than ourselves.

If Adam and Eve were white skinned, how did dark skinned people come about?

The Bible doesn't tell us what colour God created Adam and Eve, but they would have almost certainly been mid-brown. God is a God of variety. He created the first two humans and gave them the ability to be able to reproduce a great variety of people - as we see in the world today. In the same way God only created (for example) two dogs, but gave them the ability through breeding to produce all the different types of dogs that we see today. But, of course, they are all still dogs, just as people are still people!

The differences between black and white skinned people are actually very small, and all due to a brown pigment (coloring) in our skin called "Melanin". If you have a lot of melanin, you will have very dark skin, if you have a moderate amount, you will have a mid-brown skin, and if you have a small amount, you will have "white" skin.

The amount of melanin you have will be dependent on your parents. If both your parents are dark skinned, you will (probably) also be dark skinned. If both your parents are fair skinned, you will (probably) also be fair skinned. However, if your parents are mid-brown skinned, or if one is dark skinned and the other white, then the colour of your skin will be less predictable. You are most lilely to be mid-brown, but actually you could be anywhere between "white" and "black", depending on which parent has passed on to you the genes (information) that determine skin colour.

The picture below is of twin girls born in England in 2005. Their parents could both be described as mid-brown but, as you see, one twin inherited a "white" gene (very little melanin) , and the other a "dark brown" gene (a lot of melanin).

Thus it is clearly seen that only a few generations after Adam and Eve, there could easily have been a great variety of people on the earth, with many different shades of skin colour.

When did God create angels?

The Bible does not tell us exactly when, but it was probably on the first day of the creation week that we read about in Genesis. We think this because Job 38.7 tells us that "all the sons of God" (Angels) "shouted for joy" when God "laid the earth's foundation."

The angels were all created holy (good), otherwise God could not have said on Day 6 that everything He had made was "very good". Therefore it was after the creation week that some of the angels (possibly a third of them) rebelled against God. The leader od these fallen (bad) angels is named Satan (meaning 'adversary').

The majority of angels have always remained faithful to God, and the exciting thing is that God created them so that they could serve and help us humans. Mighty and powerful that angels are, it is only us humans who have been created in God's likeness. And it is only for us humans that God's Son, Jesus died on the cross.

Where did Cain get his wife from?

The most common question that people ask Bible teachers is certainly "Who made God?" (For the answer - see Kidzone No.1). The next most common question is the one asked here.

Adam and Eve were the very first two people. Although the Bible only tells us the names of three of their children (Cain, Abel and Seth), it does tell us that they had other sons and daughters. As Adam lived until he was 930 years, there were probably lots of them.

At the beginning of human history, Adam's sons, including Cain, must have married their own sisters. This is because Adam and Eve were the parents of everyone. After that, their children's sons could have married their sisters or their girl cousins, and had children of their own. Very soon there would have been thousands of people living on the earth.

It is against the law for brothers to marry sisters today, why could they do it back then?

Let's first consider the world today. If brothers marry their sisters, then their children may be deformed or sick or handicapped in some way. This is because in our genes, we all have some 'copying mistakes' that have built up in our family over many generations. Different families have different copying mistakes. When people with different gene mistakes marry, the good genes from each partner tend to override the other partner's bad genes, so that deformities do not appear in their children. But if people with the same gene mistakes marry, then their children are liable to inherit two sets of bad genes, and so they can be handicapped in some way.

This was not a problem with Adam and Eve's children, because God created Adam and Eve perfect, with no genetic mistakes! So there was no problem with brothers marrying sisters.

But then, when sin entered the world, God withdrew some of His power that stopped things falling apart. His perfect creation began to degenerate. There was death and decay, and many genetic mistakes began to develop in all living things. This was minimal at the time of Cain, so intermarriage was okay, but by the time of Moses, about 2,500 years later, genetic mistakes had built up to the point where it was necessary for God to forbid brothers from marrying their own sisters. That is why it was okay at the beginning, but not okay today to marry your close relative.

Did God make cavemen?

Some people believe that long ago there were ape-men, and then the first humans were dumb cavemen. This is not true. There never were any ape-men. And the first people weren't dumb either. They were very clever.

The Bible says that a man named Jabel was the first of those who live in tents and look after livestock - cattle, horses, etc. His brother Jubal invented the harp and the flute. It takes a lot of intelligence to do that, as well as to play them.

Another man, Tubalcain, invented all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. This meant he knew how to extract copper, tin and iron from their ores.

All of this culture, such as farming, making music, and using tools, is proof that the very first people on earth were not ape-men, and not dumb cavemen either. Civilization existed from the very first.

Later on, after God scattered the people from the tower of Babel (see Genesis, chapter 11), some groups lost their abilities and degenerated to become simple cave dwellers, but others continued to live civilised lives, using their various skills.

Why is my brother / sister nasty to me?
(This is one of the questions I am asked most often.)

"Before I answer your question, can I ask you "How about you ? Are you nasty to your brother / sister ? It is very easy for us to see the faults in others, but very hard to see the faults in ourselves. Brothers and sisters are often nasty to each other, and to understand why, we have to go back to the garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, that brought sin into the world, and spoiled everything. We are all descendants of Adam and Eve and have been born with a selfish nature that wants its own way. Children soon realise that being selfish all the time often gets them in to trouble, so they learn to control their behaviour, especially when they are outside their home environment. However, without Jesus, their selfish nature is still there. When you live with the same persons day after day ( like brothers and sisters ), this selfishness is bound to show itself from time to time, often resulting in "nastiness" to each other.

If your brother or sister is really nasty to you, there are two important things you can do. Firstly, pray that they will hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and allow Him to begin to change their selfish nature. Secondly, whenever your brother / sister is nasty to you, then you be nice to them. The Bible tells us that we are to defeat evil, not with evil, but rather with good. (Romans 12.21).That can be a really hard thing to do, but if you persist in being nice to them, then usually they will start being nice to you !

If I ask God for something, will He give it me?

God has promised to give us everything we need (read Philippians chapter 4, verse 19) but, like any good father, hasn't promised to give us everything we want. There is a big difference! Some of the things we might need are food, clothes, homes to live in, families to look after us, joy - if we are feeling sad, peace - if we are troubled, patience - if we are waiting for something, and love - if we are finding it hard to get on with someone.

God always wants the very best for His children. However, He will never give us something that He knows would be bad for us. He loves us too much for that. So, the answer to the question is sometimes:-

"Yes" - God really wants you to have what you asked Him for.

"Wait" - God wants you to have that thing, but the time is not yet right.

"No" - God knows that the thing you asked Him for would not be good for you.

There is nothing wrong in asking God for things we want, but very often people ask God for something purely out of selfish motives, rather than thinking beforehand what might be best for others, or what God might want us to have. A better approach would be to ask God for His will to be done in your life, and then ask Him to place His desires in your heart. Then you will be able to pray for something with faith, being confident that it is also God's will that you should have whatever you ask of Him.

Do people have more than one life on earth?

Many Eastern religions teach that after a person dies he/she is then born into the world again and has another life. Then after they die a second time, they are reborn again, and so on and so on. This belief is known as reincarnation. Most people who believe this also believe that the type of life you are presently living determines the quality of your next life. Thus if you lead a good life, you will probably be born into a wealthy family next time. Conversely, if you lead a bad life, you may well be born into a life of poverty next time round. And if you lead a really bad life, you may come back as an animal, or even an insect next time!

Some people who have allowed themselves to be subjected to the ungodly practice of hypnotism appear to then remember a 'former' life on earth. The interesting thing is most of these people seem to remember being a famous person in the past. Many, for example, claim to have been King Henry V111, or Queen Elizabeth 1. However our common sense should be setting off alarm bells here - They can't all have been Henry V111 or Elizabeth1 !

The idea of reincarnation is attractive to some people because it means that if you make a mess of this life, you will always get a second chance. But the important question is not whether this is an attractive idea, but whether it is true?

The only person who knows everything is God. And He has written us a book called the Bible which tells us everything we need to know concerning our life and what happens afterwards. If you believe something that disagrees with the Bible - you are wrong! You need to change your beliefs so that they agree with the Bible. So is reincarnation true? Definitely not! Hebrews 9 verse 27 says "We die only once, and then we are judged." If reincarnation were true, that would obviously mean dying more than once, and that clearly contradicts the Bible. Therefore it must be wrong.

Thus the Bible makes it clear that we only have one life, and then we will stand before God in judgement. And at that time the only thing that will matter to God is whether we have accepted or rejected His free gift of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why it is vital to accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour in this life. We won't get a second chance!

If God knows the future, does that mean that what is going to happen is going to happen?

Most followers of Eastern religions believe this. They say that our lives are all planned out beforehand for us, and nobody can change their destiny. Thus, for example, if you are destined to have a road accident at age 35, you will have a road accident at age 35! Nothing can change that.

This fatalistic "What will be will be" attitude to life is shown up in many different ways. Thus people may not bother to take care when they are driving a vehicle because they think that if they are destined to arrive safely at their destination, they will arrive safely. But if they are destined to have a crash, they are certain to have a crash - even if they drive carefully. At the Bali bombings a few years ago, most of the native inhabitants of that island just stood back and watched the aftermath. They took the attitude "It must be God's will. If people are going to die, they will die, if they are going to survive, they will survive. Therefore no rescue attempt will make any difference."

God certainly does know everything, including our futures. However the Bible makes it perfectly clear that we are in control of our own destinies. The choices we make today will largely determine what our future lives will be like. However, our eternal, all-knowing God is outside of time as we know it, and is able see the choices we make in the future. They are, however, still our choices. For example, Jesus always knew that Judas was going to betray Him, but that doesn't mean that Judas was not responsible for his actions. No. He made a bad choice! Interestingly, it was actually the "Westerners" in Bali at the time who, after the bombings, rushed to the aid of the injured - thus outworking their belief that what we do can indeed influence the outcome of an event.

So make sure you make good choices in life. And the most important one we have to make is what we are going to do with God's gift of Jesus - to accept Him as our Saviour and Lord, or to reject Him. I hope that you make the right choice. It will affect your eternal destiny.

Do all religions lead to God?

Some people think that if a person is sincere in following their religion it will eventually lead them to God - no matter which religion they are actually following. Thus they may be Christian, Jew, Moslem, Buddhist, Hindu, or something else. You can imagine God at the top of a mountain with many paths leading up to him. Although the paths start at different points, they all eventually lead to God.

Contrast this idea, however, with what Jesus said. He said "I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father, except by me. (John 14 v. 6). Note that Jesus said "I am the way" He didn't say "I am a way" He said "I am the way." Thus it is abundantly clear that Jesus claimed to be the only way to God.

What it comes down to is: Who are you going to believe? Jesus, the Son of God, or mere humans who don't know everything and often make mistakes.

Newsletter 76.

2009-05-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 76 from Maurice Sweetsur

Special Blogs.

The last two (at least for the present) are now available. These are:-

12. Lessons involving balloons. www.ms-balloons.blogspot.com
13. Lessons involving fire. www.ms-firelessons.blogspot.com

Maurice Sweetsur

Theology for kids (Part 1).

Children ask some really interesting questions. Every month, in my Blog site for children (Kidzone - www.funatkidzone.blogspot.com ), I answer a question that I have been asked by a child. In this Newsletter, I am sharing some of these questions and answers. Although there are some really "deep" questions, I have attempted to answer them in a way that a child could understand - hence my title "Theology for kids".

I must admit that in some cases these were not the actual answers that I gave at the time. If you as a teacher are asked a question, you have to give an instant answer, and I am sure that we have all discovered that on reflection these may not be completely adequate. (It is for this reason that I encourage children to write out any questions they have and give them to me. Thus, I am then able to consider their questions, and if necessary research the answers - using the Bible as my main source - over the following week).

The following "answers" are, therefore, the ones I would have given on reflection. I hope that you find them helpful.

Note. Questions and answers specifically relating to "Creation" were shared in Newsletter 68.

Contents.

1 - Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
2 - Is Jesus really God?
3 - How can I know that the Christian faith is true?
4 - Did God write the Bible?
5 - When is Jesus coming back to earth?
6 - Why does God allow suffering?
7 - Can I be a Christian even if my parents aren't?

1 - Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

Christianity stands or falls on the resurrection of Jesus. As Paul expressed it "If Christ was not raised from the dead, our faith is useless - - - - and we are to be pitied more than all men." ( 1 Corinthians 15. 14,19 ). Conversely, if Christ did rise from the dead, what He said and did is of vital importance to everyone who has ever been born onto this planet. So why do we believe that Jesus really did rise? There are three main reasons.

1. The disappearance of His body.

It is generally acknowledged that after Jesus was crucified and buried, His body disappeared. Three theories have been proposed by doubters to try and explain this.

A. Jesus didn't really die on the cross.

It is suggested that Jesus only fainted and later recovered in the tomb. However, this theory fails to explain how the experienced Roman soldiers at the cross became convinced that Jesus was dead, or how, after such a horrendous beating, Jesus became strong enough to roll away the stone sealing His tomb, and walk out unnoticed by the guards.

B. Jesus' enemies stole His body.

If this were true then, when the disciples later claimed that Jesus had risen from the dead, they would have easily been able to stop such talk by producing the dead body. This they were unable to do.

C. Jesus' disciples stole His body.

This theory fails to explain why the disciples would later risk their lives (by proclaiming that Jesus had risen from the dead) for something they knew to be a lie.

Such theories do not fit the facts or satisfy human reason. The only feasible explanation is that He rose!

2. The reappearances of Jesus.

The Bible records that after His death, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people on at least eleven occasions in a number of different places over a period of six weeks. These appearances were not hallucinations - for these arise from wishful thinking. In fact the disciples were at first sceptical. After the crucifixion of their leader, they were completely disillusioned and defeated. The last thing they expected to see was Jesus alive again.

3. The change in the Disciples.

This, and the consequent emergence of the church, is regarded as the most convincing evidence of the resurrection of Jesus. Shortly after the crucifixion, something happened to the disciples to change their disillusionment, defeat and fear to courage and conviction. From hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews, these early disciples suddenly began to risk their lives by going out to preach the Gospel to a hostile world. Only the resurrection of Jesus could explain this turn around.

People will always argue over the resurrection of Jesus, but the Bible says "Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11.6). The only way anyone can discover for themselves whether Jesus really did rise and is alive today is to personally turn from their sins and put their trust in Him. Then they will "know" that Jesus is still very much alive!

2 - Is Jesus really God?

The belief that Jesus Christ is the God-Man, i.e. completely God and completely human in one Person is the basis of the Christian faith. Most people believe that Jesus was human, but some doubt that he was also God. So why then do we believe that Jesus is God Himself? Here are a number of reasons.

1. His self-centred claims. The self-centredness of Christ's teaching marks Him out from other religious teachers. He clearly thought of Himself as distinct from man and one with God.

a. Intimacy with God. Jesus made some astounding claims. For example He said, "I and the Father are one." (John 10.30). and "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14.9). Jesus also called Himself the 'Son of God.' In those days the word 'son' implied 'the same as' rather than 'dependent upon' or 'derived from' as it does today. This oneness that Jesus claimed with God was both unique and eternal (John 8.58).

b. Authority over men. Jesus did not think or speak of Himself as an ordinary man among men. He set Himself apart from the rest of mankind and claimed authority over them - to teach about God (Matthew 7.28,29) - to call men to Himself (Matthew 7.24-27; 10.37) thus making Himself the object of their faith, love and obedience - to forgive repentant sinners (Mark 2.5) - to judge the unrepentant (Matthew 7.21-23, Matthew 25.31-33).

Faced with these claims we cannot dismiss Jesus as just a good man or a great teacher. He was either deluded, a liar or divine. As C.S. Lewis the author of "The lion, the witch and the wardrobe" put it "Jesus was either mad, bad or God."

2. His balanced and humble conduct. Jesus did not behave like a person with delusions His character confirms His claims. Consider this paradox:-

His claims sound like a madman's, yet his conduct was poised and balanced.

His teaching appears proud, ("I am - - - the way, the truth and the life - - - the bread of life - - - the light of the world - - - the resurrection and the life") yet He was humble.

His words were thoroughly self-centred ("Come to me - - - ") yet His deeds were absolutely unselfcentred.

This combination of self-centredness and humility is unparalled in the history of the world.

3. His divine works. The miraculous works that Jesus did do not prove His divine (Godly) nature, but they are in accordance with it, and support His claims that He is God.

4. His bodily resurrection. The evidence for the resurrection of Jesus was considered in the last (April) edition of Kidzone. His resurrection - like His divine works - do not prove His deity, but it is in accordance with it.

5. The claims of scripture. The scriptures clearly portray Jesus as God. Some passages (e.g. John 1.1-3 and Colossians 1.15-19) cannot be explained if Jesus is not God.

Summary. The 'acid test' of Christianity stands or falls on the position we give to Jesus Christ. If Jesus is not God, then His death on the cross cannot possibly bring salvation to us. If He is God, His coming to earth, and supremely His death and resurrection is, for every person, by far the most important event in the history of mankind.

3 - How do I know that the Christian faith is true?

We are all exposed to a variety of different beliefs. This can be quite confusing to realise that there are many different religions, sects, denominations etc. You may ask "Do they all differ in what they teach, or do they have beliefs in common?" "How can I be sure of which one is true?" "Does it really matter which faith I choose to follow?"

Firstly, you need to understand the difference between Christianity and Religion. Religion is about us attempting to reach up to God through our own efforts, usually by observing certain rules or doing good works. Christianity is the exact opposite. It is about God reaching down to us through His Son, Jesus.

Whereas Christianity says we can only come to God through faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross, all religions and sects basically teach that in order to gain God's acceptance, we need to improve ourselves and reach God by our own efforts. The second difference from Christianity that religions and sects have in common is that they deny that Jesus is the GOD-MAN i.e. totally God, and totally man in One Person. Some deny Jesus' humanity, but most deny His divinity.

I think that 'religious' people must be the most unhappy people on earth. Their religion teaches them that they are 'sinners', but doesn't offer them the power to change their ways. Thus when they sin, they can't really enjoy it because they are aware that they are breaking God's rules!

Secondly, it is important to understand what a Christian really is. Christianity is not about following a certain set of rules, but rather it is about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. A Christian is a "Christ-in-Person". In other words, a person in whom Jesus Christ is living - because He has been invited to do so, following repentance of sin and faith in His substitutionary death on the cross.

Christians may belong to many different types of churches, and these sometimes disagree on some minor issues, but if they accept the Bible as their Final Authority for what they teach, they will agree on the important doctrines (beliefs) such as :-

1.The divinity of Christ. (Jesus is God)
2. The substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross for our sins.
3. The bodily resurrection of Jesus.
4. Our need to be 'Born Again'. (God's Spirit changing us on the inside).
5. God accepts us on the basis of our faith in Jesus alone.
6. The Bible, as first given, is the divine and infallible 'Word of God'. (What the Bible says, is what God says).

Ultimately the important thing is not who is right or wrong about "little things", but whether Jesus is really living in you?

Conclusion. Amidst the great variety of faiths that abound today, how can we know that the Christian one is the true one? The Bible says "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34 v. 8. Or to use a modern proverb, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." If anyone sincerely tries Jesus out for themselves, then they will 'know' that His way is the true way. If you sincerely invite Jesus to come and take charge of your life, He will give you an assurance that that you are now really part of God's special family.

4 - Did God write the Bible?

The Bible claims to be the inspired Word of God. In other words it was written by God, Himself. (See for example 2 Timothy 3.16 and 2 Peter 1.21). Christians believe that to be true. Here are seven reasons why we believe this.

1. The Bible does not contradict any scientific fact.

The Bible claims to be the TRUTH - and all its scientific statements have proved to be correct! Here are a few examples.

In ancient times, the earth was generally thought to be supported by huge pillars. But this conflicts with what Job said of his Creator 4,000 years ago: "He spreads out the northern skies over empty spaces; he suspends the earth over nothing. " (Job 26.7).

At the time of Christopher Columbus, navigators were concerned that by travelling too far they might fall of the edge of the world. Scientific observation had shown that the earth was flat - water finds its own level, so the sea must be flat! However, some 2,700 years ago Isaiah said of his Creator, "He sits enthroned above the circle (literally ball) of the earth." (Isaiah 40.22).

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus referred to a future event that would happen in a split second (the blinking of an eye). In the same passage (Luke 17) Jesus said that it would be day with people working in the field (verse 31) and night with people asleep in bed (verse 34). How was this possible? It used to be thought that when it was daytime, it was daytime all over the world. We now know, however, that when it is daytime at one longitude, it may be night at another - thus enabling us to understand Jesus' statement.

And so we could go on. The Bible has proved to be remarkably accurate in all of its scientific statements. The people that God used to write down these statements doubtless believed, along with their contemporaries, many unscientific notions. However, God ensured that no such untruths came to be included in His Word,

2. The fulfilled prophecies.

A prophecy is usually a prediction about a future event. Hundreds of prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled, exactly as foretold, often hundreds of years later.

Biblical prophecies are not vague and rambling such as those of Nostradamus and other supposed prophets. Bible prophecies deal with specific places, people and events. Their fulfilments can be verified by reference to subsequent history. For example Isaiah (chapter 53) foretold the death of Christ with minute accuracy more than 700 years before His crucifixion. In fact, over 300 Biblical prophecies about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus have been completely fulfilled.

Biblical prophecy can only be explained by divine inspiration. God, the Creator of time, is outside of time. He is the One who controls the future and, therefore, the only One who knows the future.

3. There are no contradictions in the Bible.

This is quite remarkable when you consider that the Bible is a collection of 66 books written by at least 40 different people over a period of about 1,600 years. You would normally expect such a collection of different books to have many contradictory statements, but the unity of the Bible is extraordinary for every book agrees with all the others, like some gigantic jig-saw.

4. There are no proven errors in the Bible.

Because of its remarkable claims, no book has ever been scrutinised by its critics as closely as the Bible. Yet, despite this, there remain no proven errors in the Bible.

Much of the Bible concerns a record of the conflicts between the Israelites and neighbouring nations. For centuries there was no evidence for these wars outside of the Bible itself, and critics claimed they were a mixture of legend and invention. Today, however, 'myth' after 'myth' have proved to be true history. Archaeologists have discovered numerous cities beneath the sands of the Middle East, together with countless inscriptions, letters and other items all proving conclusively that the biblical accounts are an authentic record and that the characters referred to truly existed at the times stated.

5. The remarkable Mosaic Laws.

Our public sanitary laws date back less than 200 years. The Bible, however, contains a remarkably good sanitary code. Modern public health officers are concerned with public cleanliness, purity of water supplies, dispersal of sewage, clean food, education of the public, and control of infectious diseases. The Mosaic law (The Ten Commandments and other laws that God gave to Moses) covers all these aspects in Leviticus chapters 11 - 16.

When plagues such as the black death swept across Europe in the Middle ages, the Jews, in stark contrast to the other peoples, survived in large numbers. This was because of their healthy habits and high moral standards, as a consequence of their keeping the Mosaic laws. The Jews themselves did not know anything about germs or how diseases spread. Their motivation for keeping the laws was simply "The Lord said." And we know that it was essential for God's plan for the Jews to survive. Their survival and the subsequent formation of the state of Israel was a result of God's protection and the fulfilment of His promises as foretold in the Bible.

6. The Authority of Jesus.

Even a brief glance at the Gospels will convince anybody that Jesus Himself accepted the scriptures (what we now call the Old Testament) as directly from God. Jesus quoted from the scriptures frequently and always treated them as God's Word "which cannot be broken" (John 10.35).

As Jesus accepted the scriptures as God's Word, how can anyone who claims to follow Him not do likewise?

7. The life changing power of the Bible.

Amongst the countless thousands of books that have been written, the Bible is the only one that claims to be alive and have the power to change lives (see Proverbs 4. 20 - 22, Isaiah 55. 11, and Hebrews 4. 12). These amazing claims have been completely vindicated as down through the centuries countless multitudes have found them to be true for themselves. As people have READ, BELIEVED and OBEYED the Bible, their lives have been completely transformed.

5 - When is Jesus coming back to earth?

Jesus' Disciples once asked Him this very question. His reply was very interesting. He stated that only Father God knew the answer to that. This response reminds us that although Jesus was still God, He left behind some of His Godly qualities - such as knowing everything, and being everywhere all at the same time - when He left heaven to come to earth.

However, Jesus did then on to give us a clue. He said that just before His return (sometimes called His 'second coming') to set up His everlasting Kingdom on earth, conditions here would be very much like they were in the days of Noah. What was it like then in the days of Noah? Well, people were very wicked. They had forgotten about God and His eternal laws, and just did whatever they wanted so that the earth became "full of violence."

Most people would agree that the earth today is becoming more and more like it was in the days of Noah. Each year it seems to get worse with more wars, more violence, more murders, more greed etc. Therefore many Christians believe that the return of Jesus to earth cannot be too far away.

Having given His Disciples this clue, Jesus basically told them that they were really asking the wrong question. He went on to tell them that the really important question in life was not when He was returning to earth, but were they really ready for His return? In other words, are we really trusting in Jesus? Do we really know Jesus as our personal Saviour? If the answer is "Yes" then we are ready for His return, and should be hoping that He comes very soon.

6 - Why does God allow suffering?

Because everybody goes through tough times sooner or later, we have all asked a question like this. We might ask "If God is all powerful and all loving, why does He allow suffering? Why doesn't God stop all the trouble in the world?" God's ability is usually not in doubt, but rather the question is why He does not appear to act. Surely the all-loving God as revealed in the Bible would do something?

Only God, Himself knows the complete answer to this. However, we can share some thoughts with those who are genuinely seeking answers to this problem.

1. God does not cause suffering - man does. God created people with free-will. This means we have the ability to choose to either obey or disobey our Creator. Our first ancestors chose to disobey God. This was in reality rebellion against their Creator. As a result of this rebellion (the Bible calls it sin), a curse came upon the whole earth so that everything in it was affected and began to degenerate to the state we find it in today.

Thus, man's original sin first brought trouble and suffering into God's perfect world, and our continuing sin results in continued trouble and suffering.

2. Although God does not cause trouble and suffering, He is often able to use it to get our attention.

The most important thing in life is our relationship with God who we can only know through a personal faith in Jesus Christ. However, if we all lived completely trouble-free lives, most people would never give God a second thought! As Jesus said "What would it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lost his own soul?" (Mark 8.36). It is often through trouble or suffering that God is able to gain our attention and make us aware of our need of Him. Numerous people have in fact only found a personal faith in Jesus Christ after a tragedy in their lives.

3. God is primarily concerned with our characters, that is what we are rather than what we do.

Our character can be defined as a measure of what we have overcome. Thus, as we overcome problems and difficulties, our characters are developed. A trouble-free life would, in fact, hinder this development. And whilst this life lasts for only a short time, our characters are for eternity.

It is an interesting fact that many of the men that God has used the most throughout history have been those that have suffered the most in their lives. The Apostle Paul, Martin Luther and John Bunyon (author of Pilgrim's Progress) immediately spring to mind.

4. God, being all-powerful, could stop all suffering on the earth in an instant if He chose to. But what would He actually have to stop? - People! Suffering is the result of sin, and to remove sin God would have to remove all sinners - everyone! But because He loves us, God would rather transform us than wipe us out. The good news is that through the death of His Son on the cross He has made it possible for that to actually happen.

5. God understands our suffering. He does not ask us to face suffering without having first faced it Himself. This He did on the Cross when Jesus suffered more than anyone. Through that Cross He now provides us with the grace and power to face suffering.

God then has done something about trouble and suffering. The basic problem in the world is us - self-centred people. But through a commitment to Christ, God, by His Spirit, is able to come into our lives and change us, giving us new God-centred natures. Then as individuals are transformed, the societies in which they live are changed. This is verified by reference to history. In times when large numbers of a particular community have committed themselves to Christ (this is called a revival) the crime rate in that community has fallen to almost zero. This then is God's plan for our world - to change individuals who in turn change the world in which they live.

The only real answer to suffering is to become a Christian, for then we have His unbreakable promise that all things (including our suffering) will be working together for our good (Romans 8.28).

6. The complete answer to mankind's problems and the end of all suffering is the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, God has promised, the creational order prior to man's disobedience and rebellion against God will be restored. "The desert shall blossom as the rose, the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, the lame shall leap and the dumb shall sing. The lion shall lay down with the lamb, swords shall be turned into ploughshares, and a government of peace shall be established." These are just a few biblical expressions of the future kingdom rule of Christ. The whole of creation is looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth. This is good news in a world of trouble and suffering.

7 - Can I be a Christian even if my parents aren't?

The answer is "YES". You need to understand what a Christian really is. If you ask most people what a Christian is, they will probably reply something like "A person who goes to church", or, "A person who prays a lot and reads the Bible", or, "A person who does lots of good deeds and is always kind to others". All these things are good, but none of them make a person a Christian. Rather, these are some of the things that Christians do - because they already are Christians! Real Christians do these things because they can't help themselves. They are "natural" to them because Jesus has changed them on the insides, and given them a God-given desire to do these things, which is simply an outward expression of their new love for both God and other people.

Of course non-Christians can also do some or all of the above things, but that doesn't make them Christians. Some people do these things to try and please God - because they don't understand that God's forgiveness and acceptance can never be earned, no matter how 'good' they are, or how hard they try. Others do these things to try and impress people, so that they will think well of them, or be good to them in return.

One of the best ways of understanding what a real Christian really is, is to consider the three words :- CHRIST IN PERSON. When you condense these words into one, you are left with CHRISTIAN.

Thus, CHRIST IN PERSON = CHRISTIAN.

In other words, a Christian is a person in whom Jesus Christ is living. And He can only live in you if you invite Him to do so asking Him to forgive your sins (wrongdoing) and to come and take charge of your life.

It is wonderful to have Christian parents, because they can help and encourage you in your new Christian life. But even if they are not, don't let that put you off living for Jesus, because ultimately we are each responsible to God for what we do with His gift of Jesus to us - either to accept or reject.

Why not pray and ask God to bring someone into your life who is able to teach you more about Himself?

Newsletter 75.

2009-04-11T02:29:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 75.

New 'Special Blogs'.

The next three of these 'Special Blogs' (Nos. 9 to 11) are now in place. The remainder will be available for viewing shortly.

Already Available.

1. Creation. www.ms-creation.blogspot.com 2. Christmas. www.ms-christmas.blogspot.com 3. Easter. www.ms-easter.blogspot.com 4. The Bible. www.ms-bible.blogspot.com
5. Prayer. www.ms-prayer.blogspot.com 6. Hearing from God. www.ms-hearing.blogspot.com 7. The Ten Commandments. www.ms-tencommandments.blogspot.com 8. John 3.16. www.ms-john316.blogspot.com
9. Teaching Memory verses. www.ms-memoryverses.blogspot.com 10. Gospel Illusions. www.ms-gospelillusions.blogspot.com 11. Object Lessons (using natural laws). www.ms-objectlessons.blogspot.com

Coming soon.
12. Lessons involving balloons. www.ms-balloons.blogspot.com 13. Lessons involving fire. www.ms-firelessons.blogspot.com

Maurice Sweetsur

Contents.

T.T. 50 - The Church.
O.L. 36 - The fair distribution of food.
Story - Jesus for tea.
T.T. 51 - The road of life.
Ice breaker - Colour trick.
Kids and love.
"Little Johnny" funnies.

Teaching tip 50 - The Church.

It never ceases to surprise me that, even among children that regularly attend church, there is a general lack of knowledge as to what the church actually is. Many have little idea of why they go to church (other than their parents take them), how the church started, or what it's function in society is. But don't take my word for it! If you teach Sunday school, ask your children 1. Why they come to church? and 2. What does the church do? I think you may be surprised by their answers (or lack of them!).

When teaching on the function of the church, I always begin with it's origin and early development as described in "Acts". I then ensure that the children realise that the church is not a building. Rather it is made up of PEOPLE - who have all put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. I then ask the two questions mentioned above. Here is how I answer them.

Why go to church?

1. God tells us to (See Hebrews10.25).

It is a question of obedience. If Jesus is Lord of your life, that means that you are obedient to him. You can hardly say "Jesus, you are my Lord, but I am not going to do what you tell me!" Of course not. You would be contradicting yourself. If that was your attitude, then Jesus wouldn't really be Lord of your life.

"I enjoy going to church regularly, but even if I didn't, I would still go - because Jesus is my Lord, and I have to be obedient to him. Most of you children probably come to church or Sunday school because your parents bring you, or send you along. But when you are older, you will have to decide for yourselves. But if you are serious about living for Jesus, then regular church attendance should be a priority."

2. To meet together as a family / team.

Everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is now part of God's special family. And families meet together, and do things together. It would be a very strange family indeed if the members hardly ever saw each other, or never did things together, like sharing a meal!

Another way of looking at this is to realise that now we are all part of God's team to help bring about His Kingdom on earth.

"Suppose I were to tell you that I was a soccer player. You might reply, "You are, which team do you play for? Manchester United? Real Madrid?" If I replied "I don't actually play for a team", you would say "Oh, come on teacher, you can't be a soccer player and not play for a team." And you would be quite right. In the same way, you can't really be a true Christian and not be part of a local team, or church."

Imagine many coals burning brightly together. Suddenly one of the individual coals falls away from the fire. What will happen to it? Answer. It will burn less and less brightly until eventually it goes out and becomes cold. That is a typical 'picture' of the individual Christian who comes away from the Church and tries to live for Jesus on his own. He will grow cold, and probably give up his faith altogether. We all need the help, support and encouragement of other church members. In the Bible, there is no such thing as an "Individual Christian".

3. To help find God's plan for your life.

God has a special plan for each one of you which is far more wonderful than any plans you may have for yourselves. By going to church, you will meet people who will help you discover what God wants you to do with your life.

4. To help you on your way to heaven.

God wants us all to live with him in heaven. However, our journey to heaven can be a long and dangerous one. We have enemies who don't want us to get to heaven, but by going regularly to church, we can find out how to beat them.

What does the church do?

1. Worship God.

The word 'Worship' is derived from the word 'Worth'. God is indeed worthy of all we can give him. Without God, we would have nothing. In fact we wouldn't even be alive. Everything we have comes from Him. Christians realise this and meet together to give back to God a little of what He has already given us. This might include thanks, praise, love, money, etc.

2. To continue the work of Jesus.

A. Telling others about Jesus.

Jesus wants EVERYONE to know about Him, and what He did for us all on the cross. And He has chosen His church (every believer) to spread this GOOD NEWS throughout the whole earth. It is exciting to be part of this because Jesus promised that when every group of people have heard this GOOD NEWS, then He will return to earth and set up His Kingdom.

B. Demonstrating God's love.

It is no good telling people that God loves them if, at the same time, we don't demonstrate His love by helping others in whatever ways we can.

Jesus loves everyone, but when He was here on earth, He was particularly concerned for the poor, the sick, the weak, the oppressed and the elderly. As part of His church, we should likewise be especially concerned for these groups.

Although the church is not perfect, and has made mistakes, generally, over the last 2,000 years, it has been effective in demonstrating God's love to the world. Much of what is good in society today has been started by the church. Examples include many early schools, universities, hospitals, and organizations such as the scouts, guides, boys and girls' brigades.

It has also been the church that were first to speak out against evils in society such as slavery, child labour and racism.

The church is not only concerned with what is happening in it's own neighbourhood or even country. It also has a good record of sending resources (including people and money) to help the needy in "poor" countries. You may have heard of agencies such as World Vision and Tear Fund which are involved in this.

As someone once said "The church is the only organization which exists for the benefit of it's non members."

Note. You may wish to conclude by giving a few examples of what your church is doing to reach others for Jesus and help meet their needs.

The following object lesson and story are ideal for complementing your teaching on what the church does.

Object Lesson 36 - The fair distribution of food.

Many children believe that there are starving people in some countries because there is a world-wide food shortage. Here is an illustration to help children understand that the problem is not one of food shortage, but rather one of unfair or unequal food distribution.

Preparation. Get a piece of cardboard, and write on it the letters and numbers as shown below :-

A = 1
B = 2
C = 3
D = 4
E = 0

Cover each number with individual small pieces of card or paper.

Next, get as many pieces of plain paper as their are children in your group, write on each one A,B,C,D, or E. Ensure you have far more E's than the other letters, and the total of the corresponding numbers add up to the total number of children. For example, if I have 30 children in my group, I will write out three A's (total = 3), three B's (total = 6), three C's (total = 9), three D's (total = 12) and eighteen E's (total = 0). Fold the papers over, and place in a box.

Get a bag of sweets (lollies / candies ), just enough for one per child.

Presentation. Produce your sweets, box of folded papers, and prepared card. Announce that you are going to share the sweets with the group, according to what is written on the paper each child is about to receive. Let each child choose a paper and unfold it to reveal the letter.

Ask "Who has got an 'A'?" Take the cover off the number next to your 'A' to reveal a '1'. "You will all get 1 sweet."
"Who has got a 'B'? ------------------------- You will all get 2 sweets."
"Who has got a 'C'? ------------------------- You will all get 3 sweets." ( By now, those with an 'E' will be getting excited).
"Who has got a 'D'? ------------------------- You will all get 4 sweets."
"Who has got an 'E'. More than half the children will put their hands up in eager anticipation. Remove the last cover. ------------------ "Oh dear! You will get no sweets!"

After the 'groans' have died down, ask the children if they think it fair that some children should get 3 or 4 sweets while many others will get none? Even those children due to get 3 or 4 sweets will usually agree that this is not a fair way of sharing. Ask the children if they can think of a fairer way of sharing the sweets? Mention that you have just noticed that the total number of sweets is the same as the number of children present. The children should soon come to a consensus that a better way of sharing out the sweets is for each child to get one each. State that you agree with them. and distribute accordingly.

Conclusion. "In some countries many boys and girls go to bed hungry every night because they don't have enough food to eat. The problem is not because of a world food shortage, but rather an unequal distribution of the ample food that is grown. As Christians, we should be thinking of ways in which we can make this distribution more fair, and ensure that everyone gets enough food to eat."

Story - Jesus for tea.

The following story has been around for many years in various forms. The following is the version I use.

A lady once had a dream. In that dream, her telephone rang, and the voice at the other end said "this is Jesus. I am coming for tea with you this afternoon at 4 p.m."

The lady was highly excited at the thought of Jesus coming for tea with her. But then she thought "What can I give Jesus to eat? I know, I will bake him my favourite chocolate cake. Everybody likes that." And then she remembered that her house needed a tidy up. So she set to work making the cake and cleaning up the house.

At 3.30 p.m. the doorbell rang. "Oh no" the lady thought, "Jesus has come early and I still haven't finished vacuuming the carpet - and my cake is still in the oven." On opening the door, the lady discovered that it wasn't Jesus calling, but rather a man and his wife. Politely, the wife asked "I wonder if you could help us out? My husband lost his job a few months ago, and as we hadn't got enough money to pay the rent on our home we were evicted this morning. We have nowhere to stay, no money for food, and it is bitterly cold out here. Could you possibly give us a few dollars so that we could go and get a warm cup of coffee from McDonalds? The lady replied "I would like to help you, I really would, but I just can't spare you the time. I have Jesus coming for tea at 4 p.m. and I am not ready for him yet. Why don't you go and ask some of my neighbours? I am sure one of them will be able to help you. The lady closed the door and finished off her cleaning.

At 3.45 p.m. the doorbell rang again. "Oh no" the lady thought "Jesus is early. I have finished my cleaning, but my cake is still in the oven." This time the caller wasn't Jesus, but a young girl shivering in the cold in her thin, threadbare clothes. She said "It is bitterly cold out here and my clothes are so thin. I wonder if you have any old clothes you could let me have that would be a little warmer than these?" The lady thought for a moment, then said "I do have some warm clothes in my attic that I think would fit you really well. But I don't have time to look for them right now because I have Jesus coming for tea shortly, and the cake I am making him isn't finished yet. If you come back tomorrow though, I will have plenty of time to look out the clothes for you." The lady closed the door and finished making the cake. Now she was ready for Jesus.

At 4 p.m. the doorbell rang for the third time. "Just as I thought" said the lady to herself, "Jesus is right on time." This time, however, a young boy stood on her doorstep. "Please can you help me" he said, "I have had nothing to eat all day, and I am very hungry. I wondered if you would give me a little food?" The lady replied, "I have just taken a chocolate cake out of the oven. I am sure you would enjoy it - - - - but, I'm sorry I can't let you have a slice right now. Jesus is coming to have tea with me very soon. I have made this cake for him, and I couldn't possibly offer it to him with a slice already missing. If you come back tomorrow though, you can have all the cake that is still left." The lady shut the door and began to wait for Jesus' arrival.

At 4.30 Jesus still hadn't arrived. At 5 p.m. the lady was still waiting. At 5.30 she began to think that Jesus wasn't going to come. At 6 p.m. her telephone rang. The voice at the other end said "This is Jesus." "Oh Jesus" replied the lady "Where have you been? You were supposed to come for tea with me this afternoon. Why didn't you come?" Jesus replied "But I did come. In fact I came three times - and each time you sent me away with nothing!"

CONCLUSION.

If Jesus were to come into this classroom while you were all eating your lunch and say "I am hungry", I am sure that you would all jump up and say to him something like "Jesus, please share some of my lunch. I will be delighted to give you some." If, however, a stranger were to come into the classroom and say "I am hungry", would you all still be so willing to share your lunch with him? Probably not. You may say "Why should I share with you?", or "Why don't you go and get your own lunch?"

Jesus taught us that if we give to others, we are actually giving to him. But if we refuse to give to others who are in need, we are refusing him (Matthew 25. 34-36). I have news for you. Jesus is not going to visit you in person. But as you go through life you will meet many people in need that you could help. Remember therefore, if you do give to them, you are actually giving to Jesus, but if you refuse to help them you are really refusing Jesus.

Teaching tip 51 - The road of life.

Preparation.

Take a piece of cardboard and draw the "road of life" on it (Unfortunately I have not been able to upload this diagram from my computer. Email me if you would like a copy - mnmsweetsur@xtra.co.nz ). Show it to your class.

Presentation.

"I call this my "Road of life". Everyone is on a journey through life and, as you can see, this road has three lanes.

The left hand lane (marked Good) is travelled by the good people. Those who try hard to be good and kind to others. They try to avoid doing anything wrong and would never deliberately hurt anyone. They probably believe in God, and may well go to church every week.

The centre lane (marked Middle) is travelled by most people. They do a few good deeds, but usually only towards their family and friends. They don't do anything really bad, but will sometimes act selfishly, tell a few lies and cheat others if they think it will benefit themselves.

The right hand lane (marked Bad) is travelled by criminals, those who set out to hurt or rob others.

But do you notice? All three groups of travellers are heading in the same direction - towards Death and Destruction! Because of the selfish nature we are all born with, we are all heading for an eternity without God. But God doesn't want us to go that way. He wants us all to spend eternity with Him in heaven. And, as you can see, He has provided a way for us to get there through His Son, Jesus. Jesus says "I am the way." You will also note that God has provided signs along the way to help us find our way to Jesus, and then to heaven. Some of God's signs may include His wonderful creative acts that are all around us, an unexpected act of kindness by someone towards us, or a word of direction or encouragement from a Christian parent or friend.

Do you notice something interesting about this road of life? The exit to heaven is on the right. Next to the "Bad " lane! Many people think that those travelling on the "Good" lane are the most likely to get to heaven. That is not true. It is just as easy for a "Bad lane" traveller to come to Jesus as it is for a "Good lane" traveller. In fact, some times it is easier for those on the "Bad" lane. This is because those on the "Good" lane are sometimes too proud to come to Jesus. They think that God will accept them because of their good deeds. But they are mistaken. Nobody can be good enough. Conversely, those on the "Bad" lane are often aware of their sins and realise that they nees Jesus to forgive them.

So, no matter which lane you are travelling along, remember that the only way to heaven is through Jesus."

Ice breaker - Colour trick.

Look at the chart below, and QUICKLY say the COLOR, not the word:

YELLOW
ORANGE
BLUE
BLACK
GREEN
RED
YELLOW
PURPLE
RED
ORANGE
GREEN
YELLOW

Kids and love.

WHAT EXACTLY IS MARRIAGE??

"Marriage is when you get to keep your girl and don't have to give her back to her parents."Eric, 6

HOW DOES A PERSON DECIDE WHOM TO MARRY??"

You toss a coin and heads means you stay with him and tails means you try the next one."Kelly, 9

WHAT'S THE PROPER AGE TO GET MARRIED?

"Eighty-four, because at that , you don't have to work anymore, and you can spend all your time loving each other."Carolyn, 8"

Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife."Bert, 5

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE??"On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date."Martin, 10

WHAT IS FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE?

"If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long."Leo, 7

WHAT ROLE DOES GOOD LOOKS PLAY IN LOVE?"

It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet."Gary, 7

CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE

"I'm in favour of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'The Simpsons' are on TV."Anita, 6

"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I have been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me."Bobby, 8

SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU

"Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores."Del, 6

"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love."Alonzo, 9

"One way is to take the girl out to eat. Make sure it's something she likes to eat. French fries usually works for me."Bart, 9

"Little Johnny" funnies.

1. A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, "Everyone who thinks you're stupid, stand up!"After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up.The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Little Johnny?"No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!"

2. At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and asked, "Johnny what's the matter?"Little Johnny responded, "I have a pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife."

Newsletter 74 (A 'John 3.16' special).

2009-03-17T01:01:00.000-07:00

New 'Special Blogs'.

The next four of these 'Special Blogs' (Nos. 5 to 8) are now in place. The remainder will be available for viewing shortly. (This present Newsletter is essentialy my John 3.16 blog).

Already Available.

1. Creation. http://www.ms-creation.blogspot.com/ 2. Christmas. http://www.ms-christmas.blogspot.com/ 3. Easter. http://www.ms-easter.blogspot.com/ 4. The Bible. http://www.ms-bible.blogspot.com/
5. Prayer. http://www.ms-prayer.blogspot.com/ 6. Hearing from God. http://www.ms-hearing.blogspot.com/ 7. The Ten Commandments. http://www.ms-tencommandments.blogspot.com/ 8. John 3.16. http://www.ms-john316.blogspot.com/

Coming soon.

9. Teaching Memory verses. http://www.ms-memoryverses.blogspot.com/ 10. Gospel Illusions. http://www.ms-gospelillusions.blogspot.com/ 11. Object Lessons (using natural laws). http://www.ms-objectlessons.blogspot.com/ 12. Lessons involving balloons. http://www.ms-balloons.blogspot.com/ 13. Lessons involving fire. http://www.ms-firelessons.blogspot.com/

I have recently had an increase in the number of people requesting my Newsletters, so thank you to those who have passed my details onto other children's ministers.

Maurice Sweetsur

God's daily blessings.

I am sure you have heard many sermons on how to look for and appreciate God's little daily blessings. We all have 'major ' events in our lives from time to time, but most of our days are filled with many little blessings from God. They are indeed "new every morning". Unfortunately many of us tend to take these daily blessings for granted, don't really appreciate that they are from God, and fail to give Him the thanks He deserves for them. Being taught about these things is good, but there is nothing quite like having a personal revelation of that truth.

Recently I had to have surgery for the removal of a skin cancer on my scalp. Although this was a very minor operation compared to what many people have to undergo, and I knew that the success rate was very high, I still couldn't help thinking "What if?" "Suppose things go wrong?" "Suppose it doesn't work out the way it should?" There was still that uncertainty. That small doubt. My only excuse for such thinking was that that I had an aversion to hospitals and that this was my first visit to one as a patient in over 40 years! And I did have quite a long time to think about my operation because my first appointment was cancelled on the morning of the proposed surgery, resulting in another 8-day lead up to my new re-scheduled date.

During this waiting (and worrying) time, however, as I reluctantly contemplated my mortality, I believe that I did come to a deeper appreciation of all the little blessings that I receive from God, day by day. Things like a walk in the park or along the beach with my wife, a game of tennis, watching a good programme on Television, or being allowed to share God's love with a group of children. It is so easy to take these sort of things for granted, but I hope that won't be true for me any longer. I have also gained a deeper appreciation for God's finest creations - people. Every Christian that I told about my forthcoming surgery, I think without exception, promised to pray for me. That was much appreciated. Even my non-Christian friends from the Tennis club all said something like "Good luck. I will be thinking of you". (I didn't think it was quite the right time to tell them that I didn't believe in luck, but only in God's provision!).

Not one of us knows for sure what will happen tomorrow! But we do know that we have "today". Let us look for God's little blessings today, give Him thanks for them - and let Jesus take care of our tomorrows.

When my appointment at the hospital finally did come, it was rather an interesting experience. My brother and sister in-laws, Leslie and June, arranged to drive me to the hospital and then pick me up about 6 hours later. And this they did. After I checked in and had a few routine tests, I was shown to a room and left on my own for about an hour to await my turn for surgery. I had imagined that this final time of waiting would be my worst. Would I be able to control worries and nerves? But around 1 p.m.., I suddenly had a great sense of peace. After all the worries I had felt over the previous few weeks, I couldn't understand why I now felt so calm.

Meanwhile Leslie and June had gone off to do a few hours work at their Drug Arm offices. (This is a New Zealand organization that sends teams into the most "undesirable" areas of our cities and towns late at night and through to about 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning so as to share the love of God with those most in need - Drug addicts, Drunks, The homeless, Prostitutes, Petty criminals, Teenage gangs etc.) While they were there they rounded up a few Christians from neighbouring offices to pray for me. I found out later that their prayer meeting started around 1 p.m.. !!!

By all accounts my surgery went well, and my recovery from it was remarkable. I felt no after effects from the General anaesthetic, and no pain or discomfort from my wounds at all. In fact the next day, I was ready to play tennis again. Unfortunately my wife wouldn't let me!

I can only put all this down to the goodness of God, and the prayers of His people.

Why did I get a skin cancer? I don't know. A partial answer may be that I have now learned to treat the hot sun in New Zealand with a little more care. Another is certainly that I have a deeper awareness and appreciation of "today's blessings". And I do have a promise from God which says "All things work together for good, for those who love him." (Romans 8.28).

Contents.

Teaching John 3.16.
Illustration - Receiving Jesus.
Stories to illustrate John 3.16 :-
1. A soldier gives up his life for his friends.
2. Message in a bottle.

Teaching John 3.16.

I have taught this, the best known verse in the Bible, in a number of different ways. Here are four of my favourite ones.

1. The GOSPEL.

I often introduce this scripture by showing the word GOSPEL down the left hand side of a card, explaining what it means - Good news about Jesus Christ. I then uncover the rest of the card to show the verse in full, as shown below.
G od so loved the world that he gave hisO ne and onlyS on that whoever believes in him shall notP erish, but haveE ternalL ife.

John 3.16.

Having got the children to repeat the verse a few times, I then get them to make it more personal by replacing "the world" and "whoever" with their own names, and then repeating a few more times.

2. The Greatest.

A second way of teaching this verse is to explain each part as you read it - as per the illustration below. I then often conclude by getting the children to do the illustrated word search.

John 3.16.

God (The greatest Person) so loved (The greatest extent) the world (The greatest company) that He gave (The greatest act) His one and only Son (The greatest gift) that whoever (The greatest opportunity) believes (The greatest simplicity) in Him shall not perish (The greatest promise) but have (The greatest certainty) eternal life (The greatest possession).

The Gospel.

Find all the words in John 3.16 in this WORDSEARCH.

E V A H S I R E P G
B H T G Y V T F W N
E A S H A L L I H I
L N M I H I N L O T
I D W F I O S O E L
E H G O S P E L V A
V R O Z R U M T E N
E O D N E L H E R R
S N L O V E D U E E
H E R T A H T D R T
M B U T G T H A T E

3. God's Valentine.

Write out John 3.16 as shown in the figure. The red letters spell the word "VALENTINE". Having explained the meaning of the verse, ask "Can anyone see what word the red letters make? That's right - Valentine. Can anyone tell me what a Valentine is? That's right, if you love someone, you can say that they are your Valentine. And on Valentine's day (February 14th.) many people show their love for each other by giving them a gift - perhaps flowers, chocolates or jewellery.

John 3.16 reminds us that we are God's Valentine. He showed us how much he loves us by giving us a gift - something much better than flowers, chocolates or jewellery - He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ. And there is no more wonderful gift than Jesus.

God so lo v ed the world
athat He g a ve his
aone and on l y Son,
aaaathat who e ver
aaaaabelieves i n him
aaaaaaaashall no t
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaad i e but
aaaaaaaaahave eter n al
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalif e.

4. Using a Mobius strip to teach John 3.16.

The intriguing Mobius strip effect has been around for over 100 years, and in Newsletter 47 I shared a few ideas about how it could be used. But one of it's best uses is in teaching memory verses.

Preparation. Take a paper strip (about 100 cm. long is ideal) and join the two ends together, making a half twist as you do so. You are then able to write out your Memory verse on the paper. Thus, it will be about 200 cm. long, but because of the Mobius effect will still be able to be read in one continuous straight line.

Possibly a better way of making up your Mobius strip is to print out your verse on six lines (e.g. printed longwise on A4 paper). Cut the lines into strips, and then paste strip 4 onto the back of strip1, strip 5 onto the back of strip 2, and strip 6 onto the back of strip 3. Join strip 1 to strip 2, and strip 2 to strip 3. Finally, join the beginning of strip 1 to the end of strip 3, remembering your half twist. (This is actually a lot easier than it actually sounds!)

You will now be able to get the children to try and work out John 3.16 from the pictures - see Figure.

Notes. The hand reaching down from the cloud is the oldest known visual symbol of God - He's reaching down to us from heaven. The needle and thread are for sewing - "so". The face is male, so "he". That's a grave minus r. What does a snake say? what does an owl say? Notice the leaves are plural. The dress shows a hem - "him". A shell - "shall". A knot - "not". 1/2 - "have". The clock, showing time is crossed out, meaning not time but eternity - "eternal" or "everlasting".

Note. Alternatively, you could simply use the picture diagram on its own, and get the children to work out what it says.

Illustration - Receiving Jesus.

This is an illustration that I use following teaching on John 3.16. All you need is a small gift. I usually make a balloon animal (as the gift) while I am talking about it.

State that John 3.16 talks about a giver (God), a gift (Jesus) and a receiver (Us). No matter how wonderful any gift is, it will not do you any good unless you receive it. I have a gift here (produce or begin to make your gift), but unless you receive it, it is no good to you at all.

Some of you may say "I don't want your gift" Well, if you don't want it, you won't get it, because I will not force you to take it.

Some of you may say "I don't believe it. It's too good to be true. Teacher must be tricking us." Well, if you don't believe it, you can't receive it.

Some of you may say " I will think about it" There is nothing wrong in thinking about the gift, but all the time you are thinking about it, it is not yours and it is not doing you any good.

Some of you may say. " I will have to earn the gift. I will have to sit up straight, be really quiet and still, and then perhaps "teacher" will notice me and give me the gift because I deserve it." Well, I like you behaving that way, but that's not the way to get the gift because it can never be earned.

But one of you may simply say to himself / herself " Yes, I want that gift," and get up, walk out to the front, take hold of the gift, and it will be theirs.

It is exactly the same with God's gift of Jesus Christ to the world - and the Eternal Life He brings with him. Some people say to God "I don't want your gift of Jesus. I want to live my own life, go my own way, do my own thing." Much as God still loves them (they are still part of the world) He won't force His gift of Jesus on anyone. We must choose to receive Him.

Some people say. "I don't believe in the gift. I don't believe in Jesus. I don't even believe in God." Well, if you don't believe, you can't receive.

Some people say. "I will think about the gift. Perhaps when I am older I might receive God's gift." There is nothing wrong with thinking about the gift, but the problem is many people never make up their minds, and so always miss out on what God wants to give them.

Some people ( in fact most people ) think they have to earn God's gift. They say. " I will have to be very good. I will not have to do anything bad. I will have to go to Church or Sunday school every week. I will have to say my prayers and read my Bible every day. Then, perhaps, God will be really pleased with me and give me His gift of Jesus." These are good things to do, but you can never earn God's gift.

But some people say "Yes, I want to receive Jesus into my life," and do so by faith - by simply asking God for His gift of Jesus, and believing that they receive Him.

At this point, you will probably still be holding your gift - unless there is someone very smart in your group who has taken you at your word and received it already! You will probably have to keep prompting until someone comes out and receives it. You could say:-"Well, it is still here.""I wonder who will be first to believe me. All you have to do is take it.""You won't get it by thinking about it, or by sitting up straight, but someone could come out and receive it."

When someone receives your gift, state that they didn't deserve it or earn it, but they got it because they were the first to believe that all they had to do was take it.

Conclude by stating that unfortunately you only had one gift, but the good news is that there is enough of God's gift of Jesus for everyone. There is no need for anyone to miss out.

If appropriate, you could then lead your group in a prayer to receive Jesus.

Stories to illustrate John 3.16.

1. A soldier gives up his life for his friends.

This story is taken from the film "Bridge over the river Quay." I cannot vouch for the details being 100% accurate, but you will get the overall picture.

During World war 2, some British soldiers were taken captive by the Japanese, and made to work very hard building a railway track through the jungle in Burma.

One day, the Japanese guards discovered that an axe was missing from the storeroom. Naturally, they thought that one of the British soldiers must have stolen it. The camp Commander lined all the British soldiers up, and asked for the man who had stolen the axe to step forward, because they were going to take him away and shoot him. Nobody moved. "Very well" the Commander said. "I will give you one last chance. If the soldier who stole the axe doesn't step forward right now, I will choose one soldier at random and shoot him instead. Then, if the guilty soldier still doesn't own up, I will keep on shooting other men until he does so. Will the soldier who stole the axe step forward now." A soldier took one step forward. He was taken away and shot.

Sometime later, the guards checked on the storeroom again. To their surprise they found that all the axes were present! They had made a mistake the first time they had counted. Nobody had stolen an axe. That British soldier had not stolen an axe. In fact, he had done nothing wrong. What he did do was give up his life so that his friends might live!

What do you think the other British soldiers thought of their friend when they found out he had given his life that they might live? If, in some way, they could have communicated with him, what do you think they would have said? I think they would have said something like this. "Words cannot express how grateful I am to you. You gave your life for me. Now I am going to give my life over to you. Wherever you want me to go, I will go. Whatever you want me to do, I will do." I think that would have been the natural response.

What a wonderful act it was for that soldier to give up his life for his friends. But do you know that Jesus gave up his life for you BEFORE you were His friends (Romans 5.8). What is your response to Jesus? Do you say "so what" or " who cares." I know what my response was. As soon as I realised that Jesus had died for me, I said to him " Words cannot express how grateful I am to you. You gave your life for me. Now I am going to give my life over to you. Wherever you want me to go, I will go. Whatever you want me to do I will do."

2. Message in a bottle.

An American minister once thought up a very unusual way of sending a message. Firstly he thought, if he was going to send a message in this novel way, what was the very most important message he could send? It didn't take him long to decide. Then the minister, with the help of some friends, made thousands of copies of this message, went down to the beach, put each copy of the message in bottles, and threw them into the ocean.

That certainly wasn't a very efficient way of sending a message as most of the bottles would have been broken up by waves or rocks, or simply lost at sea. However, after a short time, the minister began receiving replies from people who had found his message. They were so intrigued by it that they wrote to the minister to ask for more information. Altogether the minister received over 1,400 replies, from people in many different countries, all eager to find out more about this wonderful message.

What do you think the message was that the minister sent out? It really is the most important message of all, and is taken from the Bible, John, chapter 3 verse 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not die, but have eternal life.

That is the best and most important message this world has ever received because it talks about a wonderful person, a wonderful fact, and a wonderful gift.

A wonderful person. That's God's Son, Jesus. And there is nobody more wonderful than Him. He gave up his life for us all.

A wonderful fact. God loves you. And there is nothing you could ever do to stop Him loving you, because God Is Love.

A wonderful gift. Eternal life! And there is absolutely nothing that can compare with that.

Newsletter 73 (A 'Bible' special).

2009-02-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

Introduction.

Teaching Bible stories as real history.

In a survey, children were asked who they believed, their Sunday school teacher, or their primary school teacher. Eighty percent chose their primary school teacher. Why? They said that their primary school teacher taught them facts, whereas their Sunday school teacher only told them stories. The children think this because that is how the Bible is taught in many churches; as ethereal stories, disconnected from the real world. Nice stories perhaps, with a moral message - but not describing things that really happened in space and time.

A youth minister at an Australian church is quoted as saying :-

"I used to beat my head against a wall wondering why we lost all our young people at about age 16. In the last few years I've realised that age 16 is when they teach evolution in depth in science. Chatting with some of the students I have also discovered that some of the teachers actually identify the Christian students and make a special point of explaining the differences and difficulties in reconciling Genesis and the "facts" of evolution. It's no wonder we lost them. I come near to tears just thinking about it."

Is it any coincidence that church attendance in the western world has declined dramatically since the teaching of evolution in the schools became widespread, increasingly so since the 1960's?

When teaching a Bible story, I always emphasize to the children that, as it comes from the Bible, it is a true story - it really happened! And for older children, I give them an idea of when and where it happened. I put it in context, showing how it fits into God's overall plan of redemption. Some teachers say "Evolution is not an issue. The children believe my stories." It may be true that evolution is not an issue for most primary aged children, but it will become one when they are older. As Bible teachers we need to prepare them for this future conflict. At the very least, they need to go away from our classes knowing that "teacher" believed that the Bible story he/she told really happened.

When we consider "the beginnings", what it all eventually comes down to is this : "Who are we going to believe?" God - who was there in the beginning, knows everything, is never wrong and cannot lie - or people - who weren't there in the beginning, only know a tiny fraction of all there is to be known, are often wrong, and sometimes lie?

"Scripture answers three basic questions to which the evolutionary theory has no answer whatsoever. These questions concern the origin of matter, the origin of life and the origin of man as a religious being." R.B. Kuiper.

Contents.

Teaching tip - Teaching Bible stories in context.
Story - Jo Jo and the umbrella.
Object Lesson - Obedience brings success.
Object Lesson - Straight and crooked roads.
Object Lesson - Drawing a picture whilst blindfold.
Object Lesson - God's Guidance.
Object Lesson - The flaming Bible.
Teaching tip - The progressive revelation of God.
Fundamental Beliefs - Did God write the Bible?

T.T. - Teaching Bible stories in context.

I find that many children know a lot of Bible stories, but they have little idea of when they actually happened, or how they fit into God's plan of redemption. Therefore, when teaching Bible stories, I always like to put them into context and so give the children an understanding about where each particular story (or event) fits into God's overall plan for this world. In fact, with each new class I take, I always like to start by giving them an overview of the Bible - God's plan of redemption. There are a number of ways this can be done, and six of them are shared below. I will fill in a few details for the first three, but just give the bare outlines for the others, leaving it to you to fill in as much of the detail as you think appropriate for your class.

1. God's Time Line.

Draw out a time line for the children to view as you talk about it. Begin at Creation, and continue to the present. (You can consult a Study Bible to find the dates of some of the more important events). Include as many events as you wish, but the time line shown below is one I have used. Later in the year when I am telling a Bible story (especially one from the Old Testament), I will refer back to my time line to show where it fits in. (I often intend to go through the year telling the Bible stories in chronological order, but Curriculum considerations - and the fact that in the New Zealand school year, Easter always comes before Christmas! - usually prevent it).

Idea. Get a book of Children's Bible stories that has pictures of all the major characters. Decide which of these you wish to include in your time line. Tape the pages together in such a way that when you now 'flick' through the book you will reveal only the desired characters, and in the right order. You can then use this as a visual aid as you go down the time line.

Introduction. The Bible is the most amazing, wonderful book in the world because it was written by God, Himself. In contrast, every other book has been written by ordinary human beings. The Bible is important to us for four main reasons.
1. It is a book about God. There have been thousands of books written about God, and many of them are very good. But no-one knows God like He knows Himself! So, if you want to know what God is really like, read the Bible.
2. It is a book about ourselves. No-one knows you better than God does, because He made you. So, if you want to know what you are really like, especially on the inside, read the Bible.
3. It is an instruction book for life. God knows what is best for you, what is right and what is wrong. If you let the Bible guide you as you journey through life, it will keep you going the right way and stop you getting into trouble.
4. It tells us how we can become God's forever friend, through faith in His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is more important than anything else in the whole world.

As well as all the above, the Bible is the most exciting, amazing book that has ever been written. It is all about God's plan for the world, and how He used ordinary men, women and children, who were simply prepared to be obedient to him, to do amazing things, perform miracles and overcome much stronger enemies and great obstacles. But what makes the Bible even more exciting is that all the stories in it are true. With most other books, the stories are fiction - they were made up from the imaginations of the authors. But the Bible stories really happened.

Over the year we will be looking some of these amazing stories in more detail, because God caused each one to be written down, so that we could learn something from them. (Some of the stories, I won't have time to tell you. But there is no reason why you cannot read them for yourselves). Firstly though, we are going to have a look at God's time line. The Bible is a record of the history of the world. The Bible records all the major events that have ever happened, or indeed will ever happen, and this time line will give you an idea of what order the events took place in, and how long ago they happened.

Time Line.

Creation. (The Bible indicates about 4,000 BC). God made a perfect world.

Adam and Eve. The first people disobeyed God, and brought sin into the world.

Noah. (2,400 BC). The earth had become so corrupt, that God destroyed it with a flood.

Babel. The origin of different peoples and languages.

Abraham. (1,900 BC). God had a two part plan to make things perfect again. Part 1 was to choose a special people (The Israelites) to be an example of how to live the right way towards God and to others, and also to prepare the way for the coming of His son. He began with Abraham. The rest of the Old Testament is a history of the Israelites. When they were obedient to God, He helped them, did some amazing things through them, and caused them to prosper. When they were disobedient, He allowed things to go wrong.

Joseph. Abraham's Grandson. God caused Joseph to become Prime minister of Egypt, so when there was a famine in Israel, he was able to invite his family (about seventy of them) down to live near him where there was plenty of food.

Moses. (1,400 BC). About four hundred years later the Israelites, now numbering about two million, were still in Egypt, but living as slaves. God used Moses to rescue them from the Egyptians and lead them back towards their own (promised) land. He also used Moses to give us the Ten Commandments. These are God's rules for life which, if we obey them, will prevent us from hurting ourselves or others.

Joshua. He actually led the Israelites back to the promised land. He is best known for his part in the battle of Jericho.

Gideon. Another great hero who God used to defeat a great army with just a few men.

Samson. The strong man who lost his strength when he was disobedient and had his hair cut off. But he was still able to defeat God's enemies when his hair began to grow longer again.

Samuel. Who God spoke to in an audible voice while he was still only a young boy.

David. (1,000 BC). Who God used to defeat the giant, Goliath.

Elijah. Who was able to call down fire from Heaven to burn up his sacrifice, and defeat the worshippers of false gods.

Jonah. His disobedience led to him being swallowed by a large fish.

Captivity. (700 BC). Because of their disobedience, God allowed many of the Israelites to be taken captive to Babylon. It seemed as though they were in great danger of becoming extinct, but God still had a plan for them.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to worship the king's golden idol. But God rescued them.

Daniel. He was thrown into a lion's den because he refused to stop praying to the one true God. But God rescued him.

The entire history of the Israelites was a whole series of ups and downs as they were in turn obedient, then disobedient to God. But God remained committed to them throughout the entire 1,900 year period. Eventually, the time was right for God to put Part 2 of his plan into operation.

Jesus. (Year 0). God came to earth Himself as a man, to defeat sin, death and evil. (You could mention some of the miracles that Jesus did).

Crucifixion. (30 AD). This means we can be forgiven and become God's forever friends.

Resurrection. This means God's power is now available to change us and to enable us to live lives of power and love that are pleasing to Him.

The Disciples. (30 AD to Present). Beginning with people like Peter and Paul, 'Believers' began to share the Good News about Jesus, and continue His work on earth. This continues today.

The return of Jesus. Sometime in the future, when He comes back to complete the job of making everything perfect again.

2. God's Plan for Man.

Get each child to cut out a circular piece of light coloured cardboard, about the size of a small dinner plate. Tell the children that they are to imagine that they are the Creator, and that they have to create their own world by drawing on their cardboard whatever they want to have in their world - eg. flowers, birds, animals, people etc.

Allow about 10 min. for this activity, then get all the children to sit down, holding their creations. Get the children to close their eyes, and to imagine their creations coming alive. Stress that each creation is wonderful, with birds singing, animals running and playing together, people laughing, playing and enjoying each other etc.

Next, the children are to imagine that something has gone horribly wrong with their perfect creations. " Oh no! The people have started arguing and hitting each other, weeds have started growing in their beautiful gardens, the animals have started hunting, killing and eating each other. Now, even the people are killing each other."

Explain that because of our deliberate rejection of our Creator, this is exactly what happened with His perfect creation, our world. The question is what could God do about it?

State that the children each have to decide what to do with their now spoiled creations. Give them four choices (it is a good idea to have these displayed in some way):-

1. Destroy their world.
2. Send someone to teach the people of their world how to be good.
3. Go yourself to show the people how to love each other.
4. Give them the power to change and become good.

Get the children to indicate which of the four options they would choose (In my experience the majority usually choose option 1!).

Explain that God still loved His creation despite what had happened, and therefore He rejected option 1, and did not destroy the world. What God did choose were options 2, 3, and 4. He sent people (they were called Prophets) to teach us to be good, but usually we wouldn't listen to them. Then God came Himself, in the form of a man - we knew him as Jesus. He showed us how much God loves us and how we should love each other, but people still killed him. Now we come to option 4. The wonderful news is that Jesus rose from the dead, and that because of his death and resurrection we can be forgiven our wrongdoing and receive God's power to change us and make us good.

3. God's Diary.

"This is my Diary. I am sure some of you keep diaries as well. They are very useful for writing in future appointments we have, or events we are looking forward to. And when they have passed, our diary is a permanent reminder to us about them.

Some events in our lives, like birthdays, are of course more important to us than others, and it is the same with God. I think that if God kept a diary, He would mark in it some events that are more important to him than all the others. In fact, I think God would mark in his diary the following six events as being the most important both to him and to us.

Idea. Make up a simple, but large, diary to show the children as you are talking about the 'six major events'. Staple three pieces of plain paper together, and write on the pages, Creation, God became a man, Jesus died for us, Jesus rose again, Jesus returned to heaven and Jesus returns to earth.

1. Creation. Once absolutely nothing existed, apart from God - no matter (solid things), no space, no time. Then God spoke and brought the Universe into existence by His power. God created a beautiful and perfect earth for us to live on and enjoy. He then created people, in His own likeness, to be his special friends. But the very first people disobeyed God, and that brought sin into the world and spoiled it all. But God still loved His creation, and had a plan to make it good again.

2. God became a man. Because of his great love for us, God became one of us. We called him Jesus. He limited Himself to a human body with a human nature. Thus, Jesus was just like us. For example, he could only be in one place at a time, and he got tired, hungry, thirsty, happy, sad, etc. - just like we do.

3. He died for us. Jesus didn't die of old age, a disease, or an accident. No, he was crucified by wicked men. But the amazing thing was, he allowed it to happen to himself. In fact he died in place of us, so we could be forgiven our sins and become God's forever friends.

4. He rose again. After three days, Jesus rose from the dead, proving that he had beaten sin, sickness, evil and death. Thus Jesus is not like the leaders of other religions. Followers of other religions could probably take you to a tomb somewhere and say "Our leader is in there. He lived, and we believe he was a good man, but then he died and his body is rotting away in that grave." Christians, on the other hand, could take you to a tomb in Jerusalem and say "Our leader died, and his body was placed in that grave over there. But He is not there now. The tomb is empty, because Jesus came alive again!" This means that Jesus is alive today, and he is able to give us all the power we need to change and become the people God wants us to be.

5. He returned to heaven. Six weeks after He rose from the grave, Jesus returned to heaven. But he hasn't gone there to live a life of comfort. No, through his death and resurrection, Jesus won the earth back for God, and He now rules over it through all his followers. The Bible tells us that Jesus is also preparing homes for us to inhabit in heaven one day.

6. Jesus will return to earth again. This, of course, is the only one of these six major events that has not yet happened. But it is something that is certain to happen. God is not like us. We may write a future event in our diaries, and then something may happen to cause it to get cancelled. But when God says something is going to happen, nothing can stop it taking place.

When Jesus returns, it will be to judge the earth. If you have put your trust in Jesus, your judgement is past - Jesus has paid the penalty for your sins, and you are forgiven. If, however, you refuse to let Jesus forgive you, you will have to pay the penalty for your own sins.

Conclusion. Just like our diaries have a final date in them (usually December 31st.), so has God's diary. One day, God will declare, "Time up." That is why it is so important to ensure that you put your trust in Jesus before that 'final date', and to tell as many people that you can about 'God's Diary'.

4. The Wordless book.

This is usually used by teachers in sharing about Easter. However, by simply adding a white page at the beginning, you can use it to describe the whole history of mankind.Thus :-

White. God made a perfect earth.
Black. Sin entered the world.
Red. Jesus shed his blood for us.
White. We are forgiven and cleansed.
Green. We need to grow to become more like Jesus.
Gold. The colour of heaven - our future home.

In place of a Wordless book, I use a Colour change bag (available from www.onewaystreet.com ) for a greater effect. It looks like an ordinary cloth bag, but as you keep turning it inside out it changes to all the colours of a wordless book. If you wish to start your story at 'Creation', begin with 'white', and then you will be able to reveal in turn the colours red, black, red, white, green and gold. For the extra 'red' (prior to the 'black'), I say something like "Sin entered the world and everything went wrong. Red is the colour for blood, and animals began to hunt, kill and eat each other. Even people began to kill each other. Things were so bad, it could only be described by the colour 'black' - - - - - ."

5. The Seven C's of History.

Answers in Genesis ( www.answersingenesis.com ) have produced a series of colourful children's worksheets called "The seven C's of History." Each sheet is full of information and activities, and could be used as the basis for a whole lesson. Alternatively, you could use the "Seven C's" as an overview of the history of the world. Thus :-

1. Creation.
2. Corruption (The Fall of man).
3. Catastrophe (Noah's flood).
4. Confusion (the Tower of Babel).
5. Christ.
6. Cross.
7. Consummation (the new heavens and new Earth).

6. Four words to describe the history of the world.

1. Creation.
2. Deception.
3. Substitution.
4. Restoration.

Story - Jo Jo and the Umbrella.

Introduction.

Here is one of my favourite stories. This story has a number of similarities to one of the 'Jungle Doctor' stories by Paul White, so that may be where it originated. I first heard it told by a Christian teacher about 25 years ago. I adopted it, and have adapted it over the years. Here is my present version. If you enjoy acting, here is an opportunity to use your talents!

I have used this story hundreds of times to teach children about the importance of the Bible, and the only way that it can benefit them.

Preparation.

You will need an umbrella, a 'funny' hat, a rubber inflatable hammer (or something similar) and a well-used Bible (the more battered looking, the better).

Story.

Jo Jo was a little boy who lived in a tiny African village, deep in the jungle. Jo Jo had never been to the 'big city', so he had never seen things like motor cars, bicycles, electric lights, brick buildings, televisions etc. But his dad had. Sometimes Jo Jo's dad had to go to 'the big city' on business. Jo Jo used to ask his dad "Please take me with you." {Single out one boy in particular when addressing 'dad'}. But his dad had always replied "You are far too young to go on such a long and dangerous journey." But Jo Jo was persistent, and eventually his dad said "Alright Jo Jo, next time I go to the 'big city', you can come with me."

Jo Jo was so excited, he went and told all his friends. They replied "Oh Jo Jo, you are really the lucky one. Out of all the children in this village, you will be the very first to go to the 'big city'. When you are there Jo Jo, will you bring us back something from the 'big city', just to prove that you really went there?" Jo Jo answered "Yes, I will bring something back with me from the 'big city', to prove I really went there.

The great day arrived. Jo Jo and his dad got ready for their journey. Of course, there were no roads in this little village, so they went down to the river, got in a dug out canoe, and began to paddle down the river towards the 'big city'. {As you tell this part of the story, act it out as you are doing so}. It was a long, long way, but eventually Jo Jo and his dad arrived in the 'big city'. Jo Jo stood and looked around in amazement at all the wonderful things that he had never seen before - like motor cars, buses, tall buildings made of brick, street lights and televisions.

Then Jo Jo remembered the promise he had made to his Friends. "Dad, I promised to take my friends back something from the 'big city' to prove I really came here." His dad replied "There is a shop here, why don't you go in and buy something." So Jo Jo went into the shop, explained who he was and what he wanted, and the shopkeeper - - - - - {At this point, you need to act out the part of both the shopkeeper and Jo Jo. I do this by using different voices, putting a funny hat on to denote the shopkeeper,
standing alternatively to the left or right as I deliver my lines, and running between the two positions}. - - - - went to the back of the shop, got something out {Produce a rolled up umbrella from a bag} and said.
"There you are Jo Jo, the very thing for you."
"What is it?"
"That's an umbrella."
"An umbrella, but what does it do?"
"Well, when it rains, you get out your umbrella, and it stops you from getting wet. It keeps you dry in the rain."
"Wow! That sounds amazing. I have never heard of anything like that. My friends will be really impressed. I will take it."

So Jo Jo paid over his money, bought his umbrella, went back to his dad, and got ready for the journey home. As they paddled down the river, they had to beat off a few crocodiles. {Lightly tap some of the children (crocodiles) with the umbrella as you "paddle' around the room}. When Jo Jo got home, all his friends were waiting for him.
"Hey, Jo Jo. Did you really go to the big city?"
"Yes, it was amazing. There were things there called motor cars that could travel faster than tigers. And big things that people got inside of and moved about in called buses, that were bigger than elephants. And big, tall buildings made of brick, that were even taller than giraffes!"
"That sounds fantastic Jo Jo. But did you remember to bring us back something from the big city to prove that you really went there?"
"Yes, here it is. {Hold up the umbrella}
"What is that?"
"That's an umbrella."
"An umbrella. What does it do?"
"Well, when it rains, I will get out my umbrella, and it will keep me dry in the rain."
"That sounds amazing Jo Jo. Alright, next time it rains, we will come round to your house, and you can show us how it works."

A few days later, it began to rain. So all Jo Jo's friends came out, and knocked on his door (knock, knock).
"Hey Jo Jo, it's raining. Come on out and bring that magic umbrella with you. Show us how it keeps you dry in the rain."
So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella and walked to the centre of the village square. All Jo Jo's friends were watching. But Jo Jo got his umbrella and went - - - - - {Hold out the closed umbrella straight out in front of you, then to the left, then to the right}. Of course, the rain still fell on Jo Jo, and all his friends laughed.
"Ha Ha Jo Jo, you are as wet as the rest of us. That umbrella's useless, I would go and get your money back if I were you."

Jo Jo was so sad and disappointed, he went back to his dad.
"Dad. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me. You will have to take me back to the big city to get my money back for this rotten umbrella."
"Alright Jo Jo, next time I go to the big city, you can come with me."

So a few weeks later, Jo Jo and his dad got ready for their journey. This time, because they had had so many problems with crocodiles in the river, they came prepared. {Take out your rubber hammer and gently hit some of the 'crocodiles' on your journey}. This time Jo Jo didn't bother looking at all the sights, he rushed straight into the shop.
"Give me my money back for this rotten umbrella. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me."
"But Jo Jo, did you hold the umbrella above your head?"
"Well, no. I didn't actually hold it above my head."
"Oh yes Jo Jo, for the umbrella to work, you need to hold it above your head."
"Oh, I didn't realise that. Alright, I will keep it."

So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella, went back to his dad, down to the river, into the dugout canoe, and paddled down the river - beating off crocodiles as they did. {Hit your 'dad' with the hammer}.
"Oh no. I just did something terrible. I just hit my dad. Sorry, Dad. I thought you were a crocodile!"

All Jo Jo's friends were waiting for him.
"Hey Jo Jo, did you get your money back for that rotten umbrella?"
"No, but I know how it works now."
"Alright Jo Jo, next time it rains, we will come round to your house, and you can show us how it keeps you dry in the rain."

A few days later, it began to rain. So all Jo Jo's friends came out, and knocked on his door (knock, knock).
"Hey Jo Jo, it's raining again. Come on out and bring that magic umbrella with you. Show us how it keeps you dry in the rain."
So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella and walked to the centre of the village square. All Jo Jo's friends were watching. Jo Jo held his umbrella (still unopened) horizontally above his head. Then he held it vertically {swing it around a little}. Of course, it still rained on Jo Jo, and all his friends laughed again.
"Jo Jo, you are still as wet as the rest of us, and you never got your money back for that rotten umbrella."

Jo Jo was so sad and disappointed, he went back to his dad.
"Dad. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends again. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me. You will have to take me back to the big city to get my money back for this rotten umbrella. What's that! You won't take me back to the big city? Oh dad! Dad won't take me back to the big city."
{Single out one girl in particular} "Mum. You tell dad to take me back to the big city. He will listen to you. Dad's always do what mum's tell them don't they!"

So it was agreed. A few weeks later Jo Jo and his dad got ready for their journey - beating off crocodiles as they went. {By this time you will probably have lots of volunteer 'crocodiles'}. Jo Jo rushed into the shop.
"Give me my money back for this rotten umbrella. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends again. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me."
"But Jo Jo, did you hold the umbrella above your head like I told you?"
"Yes I did. But I still got soaking wet. Come on, give me my money back."
"But Jo Jo, did you open the umbrella up?"
" - - - - - Open it up. What do you mean 'open it up'"
"Here Jo Jo, let me show you." {Open up the umbrella as you describe the actions}. "When it rains, you get out your umbrella, press this little switch here, give it a shake, and open up the umbrella like this. Then, you hold it above your head - and the rain falls on the umbrella, instead of falling on you!"
"Oh, yes. Now I understand. Now I see how it works. I will keep it"

So Jo Jo fastened up his umbrella, went back to his dad, and got ready for the journey home. This time, because they had had so many problems with crocodiles on the river, they decided to walk back through the jungle {Begin to walk around}. There are no crocodiles in the jungle! - - - - - However, there were a few lions and tigers that they had to beat off!

All Jo Jo's friends were waiting for him.
"Hey Jo Jo, did you get your money back for that rotten umbrella?"
"No, but I know how it works now."
"Oh you do do you Jo Jo? Alright next time it rains, we will come round to your house, and you can show us how it keeps you dry in the rain - Ha Ha."

The very next day, it poured with rain. Despite that all Jo Jo's friends came out, and knocked on his door (knock, knock).
"Hey Jo Jo, in case you hadn't noticed, it's raining. Come on out and bring that magic umbrella with you. Show us how it keeps you dry in the rain. Ha Ha."
So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella and walked to the centre of the village square. All Jo Jo's friends were watching. But Jo Jo got his umbrella, pushed the little switch like he had been told, gave it a little shake, opened it up, and held it above his head. Of course, the rain fell on the umbrella instead of on Jo Jo. So Jo Jo looked around at all his friends and said
"Ha Ha. The joke's on you now, because I'm nice and dry under this umbrella, and all you are getting soaking wet!"

Conclusion.

Jo Jo finally learned how to use his umbrella the right way. But until he did, it was absolutely useless to him. And the right way to use it was "to open it up." That story reminds me of something many people have got, but it is absolutely useless to them if they don't know the right way to use it. I wonder if anyone can guess what I am talking about? - - - - - I will give you a clue, it is a book. - - - - - That's right, the answer is the Bible. Many people have a Bible, but unless they know the right way to use it, they might as well not have it.

Can anyone tell me what makes the Bible special? What makes it different from every other book that has ever been written? - - - - - That's right as Christians we believe that God, the Creator Himself, wrote the Bible. That is why it is often called God's Word. Please don't misunderstand me, ordinary people wrote down the words that we read in the Bible. But God told them what to write. God is the Author.

The Bible is important to us for four main reasons:-

1. It is a book about God.

The Bible is a book that God has written about Himself. So if you want to know what God is really like - Go to the Bible, because nobody knows God better than God knows God!

2. It is a book about ourselves.

The Bible is a book that God has written about us. It is often likened to a mirror. If you want to know what you are like on the outside, you look in a mirror. But if you want to know what you are really like on the inside (what the Bible calls your heart or spirit) - Go to the Bible, because God created you and knows you better than anyone else.

3. It is an instruction book for life.

God knows what's good for you, and He knows what is bad. If you keep going to the Bible, and doing what it says, you won't go far wrong in life. But if you never look at the Bible, or ignore what is says, you are bound to make mistakes and go off in wrong directions through life.

4. It tells you how to become God's friend.

God created us to be His friends - so that He can enjoy us, and we can enjoy Him, both now and forever. And the Bible tells us how through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we can all become God's friends.

Question.

What is the only way that the Bible will do you any good? Suppose you took it to school with you and just before doing a test, you take it out, tap it for luck and say "I will get top marks today, because I have my Bible with me." Would that do you any good? No, of course not. What then is the only way that the Bible will do you any good? - - - - - that's right, by reading it. So remember the story of Jo Jo and the umbrella. The only way it could do him any good was by opening it up. It is the same with the Bible. It is meant to be opened up and read.

This is my Bible {Produce a warn looking Bible, the more tattered the better}. You are probably thinking "Oh Mr, ________, your Bible is a disgrace. It is battered, warn and dirty." So it is. But that is how I like to see a Bible. When I see a scruffy Bible like this, I know that the owner has been using it in the right way. They have been taking it out, opening it up, and reading it. When I see a nice clean looking Bible, I think the owner has put it away somewhere like a bookcase and forgotten about it. It stays clean in the bookcase! But it doesn't do you any good there. It is God's love letter to you and, like any letter, is meant to be read.

After reading the Bible, we are meant to DO what it says. It is no good reading in the Bible where it says, for example, we should treat other people as we would like them to treat us, if you argue and fight with your brother or sister! No. We need to be obedient to what God says in the Bible. Then it will do us good!

O.L - Obedience brings success.

This is a very popular object lesson that children love to try for themselves. I usually use it after telling the story of "Jo Jo".

Effect. Place a square handkerchief (linen or paper) in a "diamond" shape on a flat surface. Lay a pencil across the centre of the handkerchief. Bring the bottom corner of the handkerchief up to the top, but ensure that it slightly overlaps. The pencil will now, of course, be covered. Place a hand on the pencil through the handkerchief, and tightly roll it up until the lower corner flips over. Unroll the handkerchief, and you will see that the pencil is now on the top. i.e. it appears to have penetrated the handkerchief from inside to outside. Try it out. It is much simpler than it sounds!

Explanation. By rolling up the handkerchief until one corner 'flips over', you are actually turning it inside out, and thus bringing the pencil from the inside to the outside. The critical part is ensuring that only one corner flips over. If both ( or no) corners are flipped, the pencil will remain on the inside.

Application. This illustration can be used to complement any teaching on Obedience. I usually use it in connection with Ephesians 6 v. 1.

Example. " If you obey your, Parents, God has promised that you will be successful. If my volunteer here obeys me, he will be able to pass this pencil from the inside to the outside of this handkerchief. What I want you to do is roll it up tightly, tap it three times with your finger, unroll it, and the pencil will have passed through the material - you will be successful. Wait a minute! First let us see what will happen if you are disobedient, and you tap the pencil four times? (Ensure that the rolling stops just before the flip over). Oh dear. You were unsuccessful because you were disobedient! This time you can be obedient (Ensure the bottom corner flips over). Wonderful. Your obedience has brought success!

You may wish to get a few more volunteers to try it out. All you need to remember is that you control the flip overs, depending on whether you want the person to be successful or not. It is very rare for any volunteer or spectator to notice the differences in the three ways you can roll up the handkerchief - i.e. no, one, or two flip overs.

O.L. - Straight and crooked roads.

All you need for this illustration are a few sheets of newspaper.
Some newspapers are printed "with the grain", and some "against the grain." This means that if you hold a piece of newspaper vertically, and begin to tear strips from top to bottom, they will either come out very straight, or very ragged (despite your best efforts), depending on the way the grain is running.

Find two different newspapers which tear in opposite ways - this should be easy enough. You now have two sets of papers, which will look pretty much the same, but one tears straight, and one tears crooked. You are now ready to begin your lesson.

Proverbs 3.6. says "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
We are all on a path through life, either a straight path which leads to God, or a crooked path which does not. Choose about eight volunteers. Give one half the first set of newspaper sheets, and the other half the second. Ask them to tear the sheets into strips from top to bottom as straight as they can. One set of volunteers will end up with straight strips of paper, and the other half with a big mess! You can then conclude with teaching on "straight" and "crooked" roads by explaining that people on 'straight' roads through life are those who allow God's Word, the Bible to direct them. People on 'crooked' roads either never read the Bible, or ignore what it says.

O.L. - Drawing a picture whilst blindfold.

This is a very popular object lesson which children always enjoy participating in.

It has been said that those people who choose to travel through life without reference to God's Word, the Bible are like people drawing a picture whilst blindfold - the picture of their lives will probably turn out to be a big messes, not the beautiful masterpieces that God want's to make of their lives.

Choose some children to come out and draw a picture on the board whilst blindfolded. I choose two at a time, blindfold them, stand them in front of the board, and place a marker in their hands. I get them to draw an object, e.g. house, car, boat, dog etc. as I instruct them. For example, with a house, I would say in turn :- Draw the basic house (a square), a door, a roof, downstairs windows, a chimney, upstairs windows, smoke coming out of the chimney, someone looking out of a window, a tree in the garden, some flowers, the sun. When completed, let the children see their pictures - usually hardly recognisable as houses!

Summary. God wants to make beautiful pictures of our lives. He has given us His Word, the Bible to help us make the right choices, and go the right ways in life. But if we ignore the Bible and go our own way through life, it is rather like trying to draw a picture whilst blindfold, and we will probably end up by making big messes of them, just like these pictures.

O.L. - God's guidance.

"We are all on a journey through life, and God has given us two things to help us - His Word, the Bible and the Holy Spirit. If, however, we try and travel through life on our own - without calling on God to Guide us - we will make mistakes, and go off in directions that are not part of God’s plan for us."

Produce an ordinary (round) balloon. Blow it up, but do not tie it. Choose a volunteer to be your target. Have him/her stand about 6 meters away. " This balloon represents a person trying to go through life on their own. Most people do want to go the right way. Their intentions are good. Therefore I am starting off by pointing the balloon at the target, but let's see what will happen when I let go!" It will almost certainly miss the target. Repeat a few times. You may be able to obtain "Rocket" balloons. These are long, and buzz as they travel through the air. Children love them, but they will still miss their targets!

"What this balloon needs is a Guidance system - something to help it hit its target. I have one right here. Produce a 6 or 7 meter piece of string, and thread one end through a drinking straw. Have a second volunteer stand just behind the target, holding the other end. Blow up your balloon and tape it under the straw - see diagram. Let the balloon go, and watch it hit its target. "That balloon kept right on target, because it had something to guide it. In the same way, we will stay on target in our journey through life - If we let the Bible and the Holy Spirit guide us."

O.L. - The Flaming Bible.

This has been a very popular illustration for many years, but never seems to lose its appeal to each new generation of children. The concept is very simple. Basically it is a large cigarette lighter, made to look like a Bible from the outside. You open the "Bible", stroke the sparking mechanism - and up come the flames! (produced from lighter fluid that you have poured into a pad inside the "Bible" beforehand). These Flaming Bibles can be obtained from some Children's ministry sites, or 'plain' flaming books from many 'Magic' stores. You then simply need to paste the word 'Bible' onto the front cover.

Caution. Before using your Flaming Bible, check that you are not standing near a smoke alarm! I have, myself, set two alarms off in this way - with the resultant call out of the Fire Brigade! However, I must have used my Flaming Bible well over a thousand times over the years, so I don't really have too bad a record!

There are two ways in which I use my Flaming Bible, but perhaps you can think of others.

1. As an introduction to a lesson on the Bible, itself.

"I have brought my Bible along today. This is God's Word, God's love letter to each one of us. But do you know, some people say the Bible is cold, They say "Oh the Bible, it's dull, it's boring, it's cold, it was written thousands of years ago. How can God speak to us today through the Bible? It's cold." But I want to tell you that God's Word the Bible isn't cold. In fact it is hot. I will open up my Bible and we will see just how hot it really is - - - - - Flames! No matter how long ago the Bible was written, it is still up to date, and God can always teach us something different, something new from it. I had better close my Bible now before I burn myself!".

2. As an introduction to a memory verse.

"We have got a memory verse today. I will open up my Bible, and we will read it together - - - - Flames. (Close the Bible). Did you see that? The Bible is a hot book, but sometimes it gets a little too hot. Let's try again. That's better. God so loved the - - - - Flames. (Close the Bible). We will give it one more try. God so loved the world that he - - - - - Flames. I suspected that might happen, so fortunately, I have written out our Memory verse on this card - - - - - ."

T.T. - The progressive revelation of God.

Many children (and some adults) find it hard to reconcile the "God of the Old Testament" who often appears rather harsh and judgemental, with the "God of love" as revealed in the New Testament.

It may help to remember that, in contrast to other religions, Christianity is a revelation religion. We can only know God's nature through what He chooses to reveal to us about Himself. And God reveals Himself to His people in a progressive way. Consider your own experience. At some point in your life, God must have revealed enough of Himself to you for you to see your need of Jesus as Saviour. But thereafter, your understanding of God's nature would continue to increase. If God revealed all of Himself to us in one go, I am sure it would have been too much for our minds and spirits to handle!

In much the same way God's revelation of Himself to his "special people", the Israelites, as recorded in the Bible, is progressive. Here is an outline of the way in which, over about 2,000 years, God revealed Himself to the Israelites (and ultimately to all mankind). Hence their understanding of His nature gradually increased:-

1900 B.C. Abraham - God is a tribal God (each tribe had their own 'god').
1400 B.C. Moses - God is a Covenant (or Agreement) keeping God (He desires to enter into covenants with His people).
860 B.C. Elijah - There is only one God.
760 B.C. Amos - God is Righteous. (He does not have favourites).
740 B.C. Hosea - God is righteous, yet Merciful.
740 B.C. Isaiah - God is Holy, worthy of worship, and Concerned for all mankind.
620 B.C. Jeremiah - God is a Personal God, desiring to have a personal relationship with us.
30 A.D. Jesus - The Supreme revelation to mankind - "God is love."

Fundamental Beliefs - Did God write the Bible?

The Bible claims to be the inspired Word of God (see for example 2 Timothy 3.16 and 2 Peter 1.21). Evangelical Christians believe that to be true. But how would you explain to an enquiring person why you believe that God is indeed the author of the Bible? Here are seven reasons that you could give.

1. The Bible does not contradict any scientific fact.

The history of science is one of discarded and abandoned theories as new light is constantly thrown on the workings of the Universe. This is in sharp contrast with the unchanging scientific statements made in the Bible.

It has been said that the Bible is not a scientific textbook. While it was not written from that perspective, it claims to be the TRUTH - and all its scientific statements have proved to be correct! Here are a few examples.

In ancient times, the earth was generally thought to be supported by huge pillars. But this conflicts with what Job said of his Creator 4,000 years ago: "He spreads out the northern skies over empty spaces; he suspends the earth over nothing. " (Job 26.7).

At the time of Colombus, navigators were concerned that by travelling too far they might fall of the edge of the world. Scientific observation had shown that the earth was flat - water finds its own level, so the sea must be flat! However, some 2,700 years ago Isaiah said of his Creator, "He sits enthroned above the circle (literally ball) of the earth." (Isaiah 40.22).

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus referred to a future event that would happen in a split second (the blinking of an eye). In the same passage (Luke 17) Jesus said that it would be day with people working in the field (verse 31) and night with people asleep in bed (verse 34). How was this possible? It used to be thought that when it was daytime, it was daytime all over the world. We now know, however, that when it is daytime at one longitude, it may be night at another - thus enabling us to understand Jesus' statement.

And so we could go on. The Bible has proved to be remarkably accurate in all of its scientific statements. The people that God used to write down these statements doubtless believed, along with their contemporaries, many unscientific notions. However, God ensured that no such untruths came to be included in His Word,

2. The fulfilled prophecies.

A prophecy is usually a prediction about a future event. Hundreds of prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled, exactly as foretold, often hundreds of years later.

Biblical prophecies are not vague and rambling such as those of Nostradamus and other supposed prophets. Bible prophecies deal with specific places, people and events. Their fulfilments can be verified by reference to subsequent history. For example Isaiah (chapter 53) foretold the death of Christ with minute accuracy more than 700 years before His crucifixion. In fact, over 300 Biblical prophecies about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus have been completely fulfilled.

Biblical prophecy can only be explained by divine inspiration. God, the Creator of time, is outside of time. He is the One who controls the future and, therefore, the only One who knows the future.

3. There are no contradictions in the Bible.

This is quite remarkable when you consider that the Bible is a collection of 66 books written by at least 40 different people over a period of about 1,600 years. You would normally expect such a collection of different books to have many contradictory statements, but the unity of the Bible is extraordinary for every book agrees with all the others, like some gigantic jig-saw.

Critics have claimed that the Bible does contradict itself in a few places. However, all such apparent contradictions can be satisfactorily explained by a close examination of the texts involved.

4. There are no proven errors in the Bible.

Because of its remarkable claims, no book has ever been scrutinised by its critics as closely as the Bible. Yet, despite this, there remain no proven errors in the Bible.

Much of the Bible concerns a record of the conflicts between the Israelites and neighbouring nations. For centuries there was no evidence for these wars outside of the Bible itself, and critics claimed they were a mixture of legend and invention. Today, however, 'myth' after 'myth' have proved to be true history. Archaeologists have discovered numerous cities beneath the sands of the Middle East, together with countless inscriptions, letters and other items all proving conclusively that the biblical accounts are an authentic record and that the characters referred to truly existed at the times stated.

5. The remarkable Mosaic Laws.

Our public sanitary laws date back less than 200 years. The Bible, however, contains a remarkably good sanitary code. Modern public health officers are concerned with public cleanliness, purity of water supplies, dispersal of sewage, clean food, education of the public, and control of infectious diseases. The Mosaic law covers all these aspects in Leviticus chapters 11 - 16.

When plagues such as the black death swept across Europe in the Middle ages, the Jews, in stark contrast to the other peoples, survived in large numbers. This was because of their healthy habits and high moral standards, as a consequence of their keeping the Mosaic laws. The Jews themselves did not know anything about germs or how diseases spread. Their motivation for keeping the laws was simply "The Lord said." And we know that it was essential for God's plan for the Jews to survive. Their survival and the subsequent formation of the state of Israel was a result of God's protection and the fulfilment of His promises as foretold in the Bible.

6. The Authority of Jesus.

Even a brief glance at the Gospels will convince anybody that Jesus Himself accepted the scriptures (what we now call the Old Testament) as directly from God. Jesus quoted from the scriptures frequently and always treated them as God's Word "which cannot be broken" (John 10.35).

As Jesus accepted the scriptures as God's Word, how can anyone who claims to follow Him not do likewise?

7. The life changing power of the Bible.

Amongst the countless thousands of books that have been written, the Bible is the only one that claims to be alive and have the power to change lives (see Proverbs 4. 20 - 22, Isaiah 55. 11, and Hebrews 4. 12). These amazing claims have been completely vindicated as down through the centuries countless multitudes have found them to be true for themselves. As people have READ, BELIEVED and OBEYED the Bible, their lives have been completely transformed.

The Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ are inextricably linked together as God's revelation to man of His Truth. God has given us the Bible not only that we may know what the truth is, but also that we might come to know Him who is Himself the Truth.

The above was extracted from a Booklet "The Bible. The work of man or the Word of God?" that I wrote a number of years ago. If you would like a free copy of the complete booklet and you live in Britain, I understand they are still available from New Life Centre, Prestwick, KA9 2PA, Scotland. If you live in New Zealand, please email me your postal address, and I will send one on to you.

Newsletter 72.

2009-01-16T00:20:00.000-08:00

Newsletter 72 from Maurice Sweetsur

Welcome to my first Newsletter for 2009. I hope that you find something here of benefit to your ministry.

Below are two testimonies that I recently received. It is always encouraging to hear how my material is being used by others. If you find my Newsletters helpful, I would encourage you to make them known to other children's workers that you know of.

I have often had emails from people who have stumbled upon my web sites by accident, and subsequently asked to subscribe to my Newsletters. But the best way to make them more widely known is if my present subscribers tell others about them. ( www.mauricesweetsur.blogspot.com ).

You could also consider sharing about my children's web site "Kidzone" with the boys and girls that you teach. ( www.funatkidzone.blogspot.com ).

And if you live in New Zealand, you could consider making my ministry known to your church leaders. ( www.unclemaurice.blogspot.com ). Remember that I make no charge for taking programmes in the Greater Auckland area.

All my web site addresses are as follows:-
Children's ministry - www.unclemaurice.blogspot.com
All teaching material (All Newsletters) - www.mauricesweetsur.blogspot.com
Object lessons / Illusions - www.objectlessons.blogspot.com
Teaching tips - www.teachinglessons.blogspot.com
Stories, skits and puppet plays - www.christianstoriesandplays.blogspot.com
Kidzone (Children's site) - www.funatkidzone.blogspot.com
Kidzone - Archives. - www.kidzonearchives.blogspot.com

Maurice Sweetsur

Testimonies.
1. Maurice: Thank you for that wonderful article, “What Proof Would Satisfy.” It comes at a perfect time. I have been teaching apologetics in my church and wanted something to share during the Holiday season. This will work perfectly.
Pastor Wally LeyerleFirst Baptist Church The Colony, TX, USA.

2. I have never met you nor wrote to you before. BUT I have read all (or mostly all) of your newsletters and have learned much from them. I have travelled all over eastern Europe and Turkey teaching "Creative Evangelism" using my Christian clown character. I owe much of my knowledge and skills to YOU.
I thank you for your years of serving the Lord and passing on your knowledge to others like myself. The WORD continues to go forth because YOU have decided to share it. May the good Lord continue to bless you, your ministry, and your family.
Richard Huntley, Auburn, California.

Contents.

Teaching tip 49 - What children need to understand about God.
Story - "I give you me!"
The importance of children.
Ponderisms.
Laugh break - Walking by faith.

T.T. 49 - What children need to understand about God.

Before starting to teach a new class of children, it is a good idea to ask yourself "At the end of the year, what do I want these children to really understand about God?"

If we each wrote down a list of what we thought was really important for our children to understand about God, it would obviously depend upon the age of the children, their backgrounds and their previous 'Bible' teaching. However, our list of what we wanted them to learn would probably include such things as teaching them to recite John 3.16, the Lord's prayer, the Ten Commandments, and even the Books of the Bible. We would probably also want our children to be thoroughly familiar with some of the best known Bible stories, such as Easter, Christmas, David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion's den, etc. And this is all good - as long as it is not an end in itself!

Unfortunately 'Knowing' something is not the same as understanding it. I have known children who, for example, could recite the Lord's prayer perfectly, but still having little understanding of what the prayer actually means! Rather, our aim should be to ensure that each child comes to an understanding of what God is really like. And this means explaining to the children what a particular Scripture or Bible story really teaches us about God. The Bible verses and stories are really tools which we can use to bring our children to a deeper understanding of the nature of God.

Here is a list of what I believe children really need to understand about God. You may wish to add to it, but keep it in mind during your teaching sessions.

1. God is always there. Wherever we go, God is always right there with us.

2. God always answers prayers. His answer may be "Yes", "No", or "Wait", but He will always answer us.

3. God always understands. No matter what is happening in our lives, no matter how we feel, God always understands about us.

4. God always forgives. No matter what we may have done, God will always forgive us if we are really sorry.

5. God always loves. We can never stop God loving us, because "He is love."

Story - "I give you me!"

A teacher wanted to teach his pupils the real meaning of "Christmas". He explained that Christmas was Jesus' birthday, and that as it was customary to give a gift to people on their birthday, he asked all the children to bring in a gift for Jesus on that special day. He explained that he would like the children to all think hard about their gift and that it should be a one that would be worthy to give to Jesus, the Son of God and Saviour of the world.

The teacher placed a large box in the centre of the classroom and, as the children arrived - many of them obviously carrying a gift - , asked them to come out one at a time and place their gift for Jesus in the empty box.

Matthew was the first to come forward, and the other children gasped to see him pushing his bicycle towards the box. Everyone knew how much Matthew loved his bike. He had been saving up for it for months, and after he finally had enough to buy it just a few weeks ago, he was seen riding it for hour after hour. Surely Matthew wasn't going to give his precious bike away? But no. Matthew lifted his bike into the box, clasped his hands together and prayed "Jesus, I give you my bike."

Next to come forward was Amanda. Again their was a gasp from the other children as they saw her carrying her favourite Barbie doll. She was rarely seen without her precious Barbie doll. But she placed it in the box and prayed "Jesus, I give you my Barbie doll."

Next up was Big Joe. Everyone knew how much Joe liked chocolate. But there he was, carrying, a large box of chocolates to give to Jesus. How hard that must have been for Joe to give his chocolates away. And so it went on. Each child had obviously thought long and hard about their gift and gave up something that they were bound to miss.

Finally, there was only Poor Jimmy left. He was know as 'Poor Jimmy' because he obviously was very poor. He never seemed to wear any nice clothes, or have very much in his lunch box. In fact, sometimes, he didn't bring any lunch with him at all. It was said that his father had died, and that his mother didn't have much money to look after Jimmy and his brothers and sisters. What sort of gift would Jimmy give to Jesus?

"It's your turn now, Jimmy" said the teacher. "Bring your gift to Jesus." Slowly, Jimmy got up and started walking towards the box. A few children giggled and whispered "He's not got anything. Look. There is nothing in his hands. Jimmy is carrying nothing to give to Jesus." Eventually Jimmy arrived at the box. He hesitated for a moment, and then jumped right into the box and sat down. "Jimmy, What on earth are you doing" asked the teacher. But Jimmy just put his hands together and prayed "Jesus, I give you me! I give all of my life to you."

Question. Which of those children gave the best gift to Jesus? That's right, Jimmy did.

Jesus told us that when we are giving to others, we are actually giving to Him. Some people give money to Jesus (Perhaps when they give to the church offering, or to a charity), some give up some of their time or talents (abilities) to help others. And that is good. But what Jesus wants each one of us to give to him is all of our Lives, just like Jimmy did. He gave his life for us, and he wants us to give All of our lives back to him. He will never be satisfied with a little bit of our money, time, talents, or anything else we can offer him. No, He wants All of us.

What does this mean in practice? It means living for Jesus. It means putting Him first all the time. It means that our attitude should be not, "What is best for me, or what do I want to do?" but rather "What is best for Jesus. What does He want me to do?" That is giving yourself to Jesus.

Prayer. "Jesus, I give all of my life to you. I may not have a lot, but what I do have, I give it all to you. Help me to use my money, time, talents and everything else I have in a way that pleases you. Amen."

The importance of children.

According to a publication of the "US Centre for World Missions"
85% of all people worldwide who decide to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour are between 4 and 14 years old.
90% of all pastors and missionaries got to know the Lord while they were children, and had a responsibility in church while they were children.
The Christian churches lose more children of Christian parents, than they gain new converts by means of evangelistic efforts. (In other words: Churches would grow more if they suspended all evangelistic events completely, and instead focused on evangelizing their own children.)
Source http://www.altisimo.net/
We all need churches to become aware of this potential. Generally they invest very little or nothing in ministering to children compared with other areas of the church.

Ponderisms.

I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.

The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?"

Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there? I'm going to eat the next thing that comes out of its bottom ."

Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

Laugh break - Walking by faith.

One day a 6 year old girl was sitting in a classroom. The teacher was going to explain evolution to the children. The teacher asked a little boy: Tommy do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.TEACHER: Tommy, do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.
TOMMY: Okay. (He returned a few minutes later) Yes, I saw the sky.
TEACHER: Did you see God up there?
TOMMY: No.
TEACHER: That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there. Possibly he just doesn't exist.
A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions. The teacher agreed and the little girl asked the boy: Tommy, do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yessssss!
LITTLE GIRL: Did you see the sky?
TOMMY: Yessssss!
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the teacher?
TOMMY: Yes
LITTLE GIRL: Do you see her brain?
TOMMY: No
LITTLE GIRL: Then according to what we were taught today in school, she possibly may not even have one!

"FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT"
II CORINTHIANS 5:7
(Forwarded by Helen Setser).

Newsletter 71.

2008-11-18T22:40:00.000-08:00

Newsletter 71 from Maurice Sweetsur

This will be my last Newsletter for 2008, so I would like to take this opportunity of wishing all my readers a very happy Christmas and a fruitful New Year. Thank you to everyone who has responded to something in my Newsletters this year. It is always good to get feedback and know that my materials are still being useful to children's ministers throughout the world.

In Newsletters 50 and 61, I shared a number of ideas for teaching children about Christmas. So check them out if you wish to be reminded.

2008 has been another busy and fruitful year for myself. By the end of the year I will have taken around 250 separate Bible lessons in the nine primary schools that I visit - ministering in total to about 500 children on a regular basis. In addition I will have taken about 60 programmes at churches (Family services, Sunday schools, Kids clubs, Holiday programmes, Camps etc.). My long-desired, but recently acquired remote control drawing board is proving to be a big hit, although my assistant 'George', the flaming Bible, and Pinocchio's nose are always popular with the children.

This year, I have also had the joy of leading over 100 children to the Lord this year, mainly at Ngaruawahia Christian Youth Camp, where I am a regular visitor.

I have recently received an update on the children's work that I started in Prestwick, Ayrshire (Scotland) about 20 years ago, having felt led of the Lord to do so. I still remember walking the streets of Prestwick and knocking on doors to see if there were any children who lived there that would like to come along to my new children's after school Christian group. (I also remember the looks of suspicion that I received from some of the parents!). Not many children did come - but still enough to start the group up! Five years later when I left to come to New Zealand, it was a real wrench to leave behind that now prospering group.

I had assumed, and hoped, that my co-leaders would carry on the work. But they expressed their intention of leaving the work at the same time as myself. To be honest, I felt devastated. It looked as though the group would have to close. But God had His plans. He laid it on the heart of my friend and "fellow street evangelist" Allan Marshall to take over the Prestwick group. Now over 15 years later, Allan is still in charge, and under his guidance it has grown to a total of five groups throughout Ayrshire. They now go under the name "Hiz Kidz". Praise the Lord!

Recently my son Paul (now 27) went on his first mission trip - to Tanzania. It made a real impact on him, and he came back rejoicing in in the goodness of God.

"I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29.11.

Confirmed Itinerary for "Uncle Maurice" for the Christmas season.

Nov. 25. Clevedon primary school. Assembly 9 a.m.
Nov. 26 Ramarama primary school. Assembly 11.45 a.m.
Conifer Grove primary school. Assembly 1.30 p.m.
Takanini primary school. Assembly 2.20 p.m.
Nov. 28 Brookby primary school. Assembly 9 a.m.
Northcross Community church. Kids club 6 p.m.
Nov. 30 'Flying solo' camp. Chosen valley 11.30 a.m.
Dec. 4 Leabank primary school. Assembly 9 a.m.
Dec. 5 Paparimu primary school. Assembly 10.30 a.m.
Hunua primary school. Assembly 11.30 a.m.
Dec. 7 Clevedon presbyterian church. Children's party 10 a.m.
Dec 11 Windsor Park Baptist church 'Cafe' 10 a.m.
Dec 12 Windsor Park Baptist church 'Cafe' 10 a.m.
Dec 14 Papakura Methodist church. Children's party.10 a.m.
Dec. 21 Albany City church. Family service 10 a.m.

Maurice Sweetsur

CONTENTS.

What proof would satisfy?
Puppet play - I don't believe in God.
T.T. 48 - The twelve days of Christmas.
A Scientist funny.
An Evolution funny.
A message by George Carlin.

What proof would satisfy?

Although I was born in England, spent 27 years living in Scotland, I have now lived in New Zealand for over 15 years and have a close affinity with this country and its diverse people. I did, however, feel rather ashamed to be associated with New Zealand recently. The occasion was during the last few days of our election campaign (somewhat overshadowed by the American election!). The final live televised debate between the (then) Prime Minister and leader of the Labour party, Helen Clark and the leader of the opposition (National party) and (now) new Prime Minister, John Key.

Both leaders were asked "Do you believe in God?" They both said "no", and went on to cite "lack of proof of the existence of God" as the reasons for their response. Although I am ashamed (though not really surprised) that the leaders of New Zealand deny the existence of God, I cannot help but wonder "What has gone wrong with this country?" Like many countries in the 'Western world', it was built on strong Christian beliefs and principles. Unfortunately these have been seriously eroded over time - as evidenced by the many ungodly laws that our leaders have passed over the last few years.

I have tried to put myself "in the shoes" of Helen Clark, John Key, and many others like them and asked myself that if I genuinely was seeking proof of God's existence, what proof could God give me that would convince me that He is real? I came up with the following four proofs that God could give to convince me of His existence.

1. Creation. If God is real, I would ask Him to create something, out of nothing, that I could see with my own eyes and touch with my own hands.

2. Communication. I would ask God to communicate with me, perhaps by sending someone, or even writing to me, to tell me things like what He is like, why He made me, what His plans are for me, and if there is there is life after death.

3, Revelation. I would ask God to reveal Himself to us by visiting planet Earth in person. When He was here, I would ask Him to prove His power by doing things we humans cannot do, and that defy the natural laws of the universe. Things like multiplying matter, defying gravity, commanding nature (such as storms) to obey Him, commanding the sick to be healed and the dead to come back to life.

4. Finally, if God were real, I would ask Him if He really loved us humans, and to do something to demonstrate how much He loves us.

I cannot really think of any other proofs that God could give to convince us that He is real. But surely those I have listed above are more than enough. If God did all that, surely nobody could still doubt His existence. The proof would be irrefutable! But then I remembered - GOD HAS ALREADY GIVEN US THOSE FOUR PROOFS!

1. We only have to look around us to see the vast number of wonderful things that have been created (If there is no Creator, they must have created themselves, beginning with nothing. And to believe this requires an unreasonable faith!). - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19.1.

2. God has sent us many messengers to tell us about Himself - they were usually called Prophets. And He has written us a letter that tells us all we need to know to live our lives the right way. It is called the Bible. - "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways." Hebrews 1.1. "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3. 16,17.

3. Two thousand years ago, God did visit this planet in person. We called Him "Jesus". And while He was with us, He did stop or suspend the natural physical laws that govern the universe. We called these mighty acts "miracles". "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples." John 20.30.

4. God did demonstrate how much He loves us by allowing Himself to be crucified on a wooden cross. "God demonstrates his love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5.8.

I must conclude that God has given us many proofs of His existence. Enough, I would suggest, to convince any person genuinely seeking the truth. Yet many still deny His existence. No, the problem is not with God, it is not a lack of proof. Rather, the problem is with people. Many refuse to believe. To do so would mean that they would have to admit that they were responsible to a Higher Authority, and our selfish nature naturally rebels against that. Jesus put it like this "You refuse to come to me that you may have life (John 5. 40). Or, as the old proverb says. "There are none so blind as those who do not want to see."

So let us continue to proclaim the Gospel, and pray to God to open the eyes of the (spiritually) blind.

Puppet play - I don't believe in God.

You will need two 'people' puppets, a boy and a girl. I have called them James and Jessica.

Jessica. How are you today James?

James. Great. I got good marks in my school test, so my Dad took me to see my favourite Soccer team play. They won 5 - 0, and then we stopped off at McDonald's for tea.

Jessica. That's wonderful, James. I hope that you gave God thanks for all the good things that have been happening to you.

James. I don't believe in God.

Jessica. Why do you say that James?

James. I think that I would like to believe in God. But there is no proof that He actually exists.

Jessica. But James, the proof of God is all around you.

James. I don't understand what you mean, Jessica.

Jessica. Just use your eyes. Look at the millions of stars, all the living things like flowers, birds, animals and people. Think about how wonderful they all are. They must have been made by a very clever Creator. Otherwise you have to believe that everything made itself, beginning with nothing!

James. I hadn't thought about it like that before. But if there is a God, why hasn't He sent someone to earth to tell us about Himself?

Jessica. He has. He has sent many messengers to us in fact. They were usually called Prophets, and we can read about everything they said in the Bible. The Bible is really God's love letter to you James. If you read it, you will get to know what God is really like, and how special you are to Him.

James. But if God really loves us, as you say, why hasn't He come to reveal Himself to us in person?

Jessica. Two thousand years ago. He did just that. He came to earth in human form. We called Him, Jesus.

James. But how do we know that Jesus was really God?

Jessica. He did things that only God could do. He defied the natural laws of the universe by doing miracles like multiplying matter, defying gravity, commanding nature (such as storms) to obey Him, commanding the sick to be healed and the dead to come back to life. And then He proved how much He really loves us by allowing Himself to be crucified on a cross so that we could be forgiven our wrongdoings.

James. That was a wonderful thing to do. But what a sad ending.

Jessica. That is not the ending, James. You see, death couldn't hold Jesus because He was faultless. Jesus took His life up again, and is alive for evermore.

James. You have given me something to think about, Jessica.

Jessica. Good. Remember that God has promised to reveal Himself to all those who genuinely seek Him.

Teaching tip 48 - The Twelve Days of Christmas.

The popular song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is usually seen as simply a nonsense song for children. However, some have suggested that it is a song of Christian instruction dating to the 16th century religious wars in England, with hidden references to the basic teachings of the Faith. They contend that it was a mnemonic device to teach the catechism to youngsters. The "true love" mentioned in the song is not an earthly suitor, but refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person who is part of the Christian Faith. Each of the "days" represents some aspect of the Christian Faith that was important for children to learn.

Note. The "Twelve days" refer to the days between Christmas day and Epiphany (Three Kings day) on January 6th.

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
A Partridge in a Pear Tree.
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Two Turtle Doves.
The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Three French Hens.
The Three Theological Virtues: 1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Four Calling Birds.
The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Five Gold Rings.
The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Six Geese A-laying.
The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Seven Swans A-swimming.
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4) exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Eight Maids A-milking.
The eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Nine Ladies Dancing.
The nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness,6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Ten Lords A-leaping.
The ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17)

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Eleven Pipers Piping.
The eleven Faithful Apostles: 1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5) Philip, 6) Bartholomew, 7) Matthew, 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon the Zealot, 11) Judas bar James. (Luke 6:14-16). The list does not include the twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders and the Romans.

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Twelve Drummers Drumming.
The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed: 1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 5) On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8) the holy catholic Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting.

A Scientist funny.

One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.

The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."

God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this? Let's say we have a man-making contest."

To which the scientist replied, "Okay, great!"But God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."

The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.

God looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!"

An Evolution funny.

If evolution is true, why do mothers still only have one pair of hands?

A Message by George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's. (Written after his wife had recently died...)

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Newsletter 70

2008-10-23T02:08:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 70.

Contents.

Story - Cuthbert the Clock.
O.L. 71 - Drawing a picture whilst blindfold.
A brief Halloween explanation.
"Conversations with God".
Can you read this?
Marriage humour.

Story - Cuthbert the clock.

Preparation. To illustrate this story you could show the children two clocks and produce them at the appropriate times. The first (Cuthbert) should be a large, expensive looking one. The second should be a small cheap looking one, e.g. an alarm clock.

Story. Cuthbert was a big, chiming, handsome clock, which the Smith family had purchased for a lot of money. They were very proud of Cuthbert. The problem was, Cuthbert wasn't a real clock, he was a pretend one.

One day Cuthbert thought to himself "I'll have a great time today. I am getting really good at pretending." Only last week he had been slow, and made Mr Smith late for work, and the children late for school. He thought it was great fun. "Today I will be fast" thought Cuthbert. At 6 a.m. Cuthbert chimed 7 a.m., and all the Smiths got up 1 hour too early. They groaned when they switched on the T.V. and found the real time. "Oh that stupid clock" they thought. Cuthbert just laughed, he thought it was great fun. But the Smiths were angry.

When the Smiths looked at Cuthbert, they expected to see the right time. Cuthbert looked like a clock, he chimed like a clock, he had a face like a clock, when they bought him, he even had a label attached, which said "clock". But Cuthbert wasn't a real clock because he didn't keep the right time. He didn't do what he was supposed to do. He was a pretend clock!

The Smiths were going on holiday. They had their aeroplane tickets booked for a 9 a.m. flight. But Cuthbert played "Pretend" once too often. He got everyone up too late, and they missed their flight. They all looked at Cuthbert "He'll have to go" said Mr Smith - and threw Cuthbert away! Cuthbert was replaced by a cheap little alarm clock. It didn't look as handsome as Cuthbert. But it was a real clock and did what it was supposed to do. It kept the right time.

Like Cuthbert, the pretend clock, there are some pretend Christians. They may appear to be good, do and say all the right things, but they are pretending. They don't really know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. But when Jesus returns to earth, only the real Christians will welcome Him, and go to be with Him in heaven. All the pretenders will be found out and left behind. We need to make sure that we are REAL Christians, and not pretend ones.

Object Lesson 71 - Drawing a picture whilst blindfold.

This is a very popular object lesson which children always enjoy participating in.

It has been said that those people who choose to travel through life without reference to God's Word, the Bible are like people drawing a picture whilst blindfold - the picture of their lives will probably turn out to be a big messes, not the beautiful masterpieces that God want's to make of their lives.

Choose some children to come out and draw a picture on the board whilst blindfolded. I choose two at a time, blindfold them, stand them in front of the board, and place a marker in their hands. I get them to draw an object, e.g. house, car, boat, dog etc. as I instruct them. For example, with a house, I would say in turn :- Draw the basic house (a square), a door, a roof, downstairs windows, a chimney, upstairs windows, smoke coming out of the chimney, someone looking out of a window, a tree in the garden, some flowers, the sun. When completed, let the children see their pictures - usually hardly recognisable as houses!

Summary. God wants to make beautiful pictures of our lives. He has given us His Word, the Bible to help us make the right choices, and go the right ways in life. But if we ignore the Bible and go our own way through life, it is rather like trying to draw a picture whilst blindfold, and we will probably end up by making big messes of them, just like these pictures.

--A Brief Halloween Explanation for You and Your Kids!
Many of you have asked how to approach the subject of Halloween with your church kids. We wanted to provide you with some helpful thoughts.
First of all, remember that short, concise explanations are the best for kids. You don’t need to describe in detail all the things that ungodly people may do at Halloween. As with every part of our Christian lives, more emphasis should be placed on the good we should do, as opposed to the bad we shouldn’t do.
For your own information, historically there were all-night prayers conducted in the Early Church in Antioch in honor of various martyrs as far back as 270 AD. There grew to be such a large number of martyrs to commemorate that the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics created an All Saints Day in remembrance of all Christian martyrs. This took place the first Sunday after Pentecost. Around 730 AD, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints Day to November 1st, but their “days” began in the evening, just as in Jesus’ day, so on our calendar that makes it the night of October 31st. There was a Celtic pagan harvest festival celebrated on that day as well. Celtic people believed that the deceased could come back and harm their harvest. The focus on things at Halloween that we as Christians view as “evil” is a carry-over from the Celtic harvest festival. However, the Church holiday that has been celebrated on the same day since 730 AD was to honor the memory of Christian martyrs. As mentioned earlier, kids don’t need all that information. The point of our lives is that “all we do, whether in word or action, glorifies God.” Instruct your kids that if they want to do something in their homes on the same day as Halloween, it is important that it does not celebrate evil. Whatever they do, as in every day of their lives, should celebrate what is good and bring glory to God. If you are doing a church event, please do not include anything that celebrates something that, on any other day of the year, is considered evil by your own Christian standards. That would be, though unintentional on your part, instilling an unwanted concept in your children that there are times when evil is okay. Keep your point to your kids simple and clear. As in every day of our lives, whatever we do still needs to celebrate God and bring Him honor.

Gary & Ailsa Linn, Children's Ministry Today.

Conversations with God.

I received an email concerning the books Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neale D. Walsch. I haven't read them myself, but apparently many Christians are disturbed about them, particularly as they are being distributed by some schools. I quote from my email :-"The books sound harmless enough by their titles alone, and have been on
the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks.
They make truth of the statement, 'Don't judge a book by its cover or title.' The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the 'voice of God'. However, the 'answers' that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God. For instance (and I paraphrase), when a girl asks the question 'Why am I a lesbian?' His answer is that she was 'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go out and 'celebrate' her differences. Another girls poses the question 'I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?' His reply is, 'Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong.' Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply 'I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is ''judge not lest ye be judged.' Not only are these books false doctrine, but in some instances quote (in error) the Word of God. And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being sold to schoolchildren through (The Scholastic Book Club), and we need to be aware of what is being fed to our children. Our children are under attack. So I pray that you be sober and vigilant about teaching your children the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to worldly mediums, because our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). We know that lions usually hunt for the slowest, weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey."

Can you read this?

I cdnuolt biveiee taht I cluod auiacity uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinevtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

Mruciae Ssueetwr.

Marriage humour

Wife: 'What are you doing?'Husband : Nothing. Wife : 'Nothing...? You've been reading our marriage certificate for an hour.'Husband : 'I was looking for the expiry date.'
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Wife : 'Do you want dinner?' Husband : 'Sure! What are my choices?' Wife : 'Yes or no.'
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Wife: 'You always carry my photo in your wallet. Why?' Hubby: 'When there is a problem, no matter how great, I look at your picture and the problem disappears.' Wife: 'You see how miraculous and powerful I am for you?' Hubby: 'Yes! I see your picture and ask myself what other problem can there be greater than this one?'
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Stress Reliever Girl: 'When we get married, I want to share all your worries, troubles and lighten your burden.' Boy: 'It's very kind of you, darling, but I don't have any worries or troubles.' Girl: 'Well that's because we aren't married yet.'
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Son: ' Mum, when I was on the bus with Dad this morning, he told me to give up my seat to a lady.' Mom: 'Well, you have done the right thing.' Son: 'But mum, I was sitting on daddy's lap.'
________________________________
A newly married man asked his wife, 'Would you have married me if my father hadn't left me a fortune?' 'Honey,' the woman replied sweetly, 'I'd have married you, NO MATTER WHO LEFT YOU A FORTUNE!'
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Girl to her boyfriend: One kiss and I'll be yours forever The guy replies: 'Thanks for the early warning.'
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A wife asked her husband: 'What do you like most in me, my pretty face or my sexy body?' He looked at her from head to toe and replied: 'I like your sense of humour!'

-------------------------------

Maurice Sweetsur
www.unclemaurice.blogspot.com

Newsletter 69.

2008-08-28T03:15:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 69 from Maurice Sweetsur

Contents.

Story - Jo Jo and the Umbrella.
O.L. 38 - Obedience brings success.
O.L. 13 - God's Guidance.
A Lie funny.

Story - Jo Jo and the Umbrella.

Introduction.

Here is another of my favourite stories. As with "The little monkey" (Newsletter 57) this story has a number of similarities to one of the 'Jungle Doctor' stories by Paul White, so that may be where it originated. I first heard it told by a Christian teacher about 25 years ago. I adopted it, and have adapted it over the years. Here is my present version. If you enjoy acting, here is an opportunity to use your talents!

I have used this story hundreds of times to teach children about the importance of the Bible, and the only way that it can benefit them.

Preparation.

You will need an umbrella, a 'funny' hat, a rubber inflatable hammer (or something similar) and a well-used Bible (the more battered looking, the better).

Story.

Jo Jo was a little boy who lived in a tiny African village, deep in the jungle. Jo Jo had never been to the 'big city', so he had never seen things like motor cars, bicycles, electric lights, brick buildings, televisions etc. But his dad had. Sometimes Jo Jo's dad had to go to 'the big city' on business. Jo Jo used to ask his dad "Please take me with you." {Single out one boy in particular when addressing 'dad'}. But his dad had always replied "You are far too young to go on such a long and dangerous journey." But Jo Jo was persistent, and eventually his dad said "Alright Jo Jo, next time I go to the 'big city', you can come with me."

Jo Jo was so excited, he went and told all his friends. They replied "Oh Jo Jo, you are really the lucky one. Out of all the children in this village, you will be the very first to go to the 'big city'. When you are there Jo Jo, will you bring us back something from the 'big city', just to prove that you really went there?" Jo Jo answered "Yes, I will bring something back with me from the 'big city', to prove I really went there.

The great day arrived. Jo Jo and his dad got ready for their journey. Of course, there were no roads in this little village, so they went down to the river, got in a dug out canoe, and began to paddle down the river towards the 'big city'. {As you tell this part of the story, act it out as you are doing so}. It was a long, long way, but eventually Jo Jo and his dad arrived in the 'big city'. Jo Jo stood and looked around in amazement at all the wonderful things that he had never seen before - like motor cars, buses, tall buildings made of brick, street lights and televisions.

Then Jo Jo remembered the promise he had made to his Friends. "Dad, I promised to take my friends back something from the 'big city' to prove I really came here." His dad replied "There is a shop here, why don't you go in and buy something." So Jo Jo went into the shop, explained who he was and what he wanted, and the shopkeeper - - - - - {At this point, you need to act out the part of both the shopkeeper and Jo Jo. I do this by using different voices, putting a funny hat on to denote the shopkeeper,
standing alternatively to the left or right as I deliver my lines, and running between the two positions}. - - - - went to the back of the shop, got something out {Produce a rolled up umbrella from a bag} and said.
"There you are Jo Jo, the very thing for you."
"What is it?"
"That's an umbrella."
"An umbrella, but what does it do?"
"Well, when it rains, you get out your umbrella, and it stops you from getting wet. It keeps you dry in the rain."
"Wow! That sounds amazing. I have never heard of anything like that. My friends will be really impressed. I will take it."

So Jo Jo paid over his money, bought his umbrella, went back to his dad, and got ready for the journey home. As they paddled down the river, they had to beat off a few crocodiles. {Lightly tap some of the children (crocodiles) with the umbrella as you "paddle' around the room}. When Jo Jo got home, all his friends were waiting for him.
"Hey, Jo Jo. Did you really go to the big city?"
"Yes, it was amazing. There were things there called motor cars that could travel faster than tigers. And big things that people got inside of and moved about in called buses, that were bigger than elephants. And big, tall buildings made of brick, that were even taller than giraffes!"
"That sounds fantastic Jo Jo. But did you remember to bring us back something from the big city to prove that you really went there?"
"Yes, here it is. {Hold up the umbrella}
"What is that?"
"That's an umbrella."
"An umbrella. What does it do?"
"Well, when it rains, I will get out my umbrella, and it will keep me dry in the rain."
"That sounds amazing Jo Jo. Alright, next time it rains, we will come round to your house, and you can show us how it works."

A few days later, it began to rain. So all Jo Jo's friends came out, and knocked on his door (knock, knock).
"Hey Jo Jo, it's raining. Come on out and bring that magic umbrella with you. Show us how it keeps you dry in the rain."
So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella and walked to the centre of the village square. All Jo Jo's friends were watching. But Jo Jo got his umbrella and went - - - - - {Hold out the closed umbrella straight out in front of you, then to the left, then to the right}. Of course, the rain still fell on Jo Jo, and all his friends laughed.
"Ha Ha Jo Jo, you are as wet as the rest of us. That umbrella's useless, I would go and get your money back if I were you."

Jo Jo was so sad and disappointed, he went back to his dad.
"Dad. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me. You will have to take me back to the big city to get my money back for this rotten umbrella."
"Alright Jo Jo, next time I go to the big city, you can come with me."

So a few weeks later, Jo Jo and his dad got ready for their journey. This time, because they had had so many problems with crocodiles in the river, they came prepared. {Take out your rubber hammer and gently hit some of the 'crocodiles' on your journey}. This time Jo Jo didn't bother looking at all the sights, he rushed straight into the shop.
"Give me my money back for this rotten umbrella. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me."
"But Jo Jo, did you hold the umbrella above your head?"
"Well, no. I didn't actually hold it above my head."
"Oh yes Jo Jo, for the umbrella to work, you need to hold it above your head."
"Oh, I didn't realise that. Alright, I will keep it."

So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella, went back to his dad, down to the river, into the dugout canoe, and paddled down the river - beating off crocodiles as they did. {Hit your 'dad' with the hammer}.
"Oh no. I just did something terrible. I just hit my dad. Sorry, Dad. I thought you were a crocodile!"

All Jo Jo's friends were waiting for him.
"Hey Jo Jo, did you get your money back for that rotten umbrella?"
"No, but I know how it works now."
"Alright Jo Jo, next time it rains, we will come round to your house, and you can show us how it keeps you dry in the rain."

A few days later, it began to rain. So all Jo Jo's friends came out, and knocked on his door (knock, knock).
"Hey Jo Jo, it's raining again. Come on out and bring that magic umbrella with you. Show us how it keeps you dry in the rain."
So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella and walked to the centre of the village square. All Jo Jo's friends were watching. Jo Jo held his umbrella (still unopened) horizontally above his head. Then he held it vertically {swing it around a little}. Of course, it still rained on Jo Jo, and all his friends laughed again.
"Jo Jo, you are still as wet as the rest of us, and you never got your money back for that rotten umbrella."

Jo Jo was so sad and disappointed, he went back to his dad.
"Dad. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends again. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me. You will have to take me back to the big city to get my money back for this rotten umbrella. What's that! You won't take me back to the big city? Oh dad! Dad won't take me back to the big city."
{Single out one girl in particular} "Mum. You tell dad to take me back to the big city. He will listen to you. Dad's always do what mum's tell them don't they!"

So it was agreed. A few weeks later Jo Jo and his dad got ready for their journey - beating off crocodiles as they went. {By this time you will probably have lots of volunteer 'crocodiles'}. Jo Jo rushed into the shop.
"Give me my money back for this rotten umbrella. I made a fool of myself in front of all my friends again. I got soaking wet, and they all laughed at me."
"But Jo Jo, did you hold the umbrella above your head like I told you?"
"Yes I did. But I still got soaking wet. Come on, give me my money back."
"But Jo Jo, did you open the umbrella up?"
" - - - - - Open it up. What do you mean 'open it up'"
"Here Jo Jo, let me show you." {Open up the umbrella as you describe the actions}. "When it rains, you get out your umbrella, press this little switch here, give it a shake, and open up the umbrella like this. Then, you hold it above your head - and the rain falls on the umbrella, instead of falling on you!"
"Oh, yes. Now I understand. Now I see how it works. I will keep it"

So Jo Jo fastened up his umbrella, went back to his dad, and got ready for the journey home. This time, because they had had so many problems with crocodiles on the river, they decided to walk back through the jungle {Begin to walk around}. There are no crocodiles in the jungle! - - - - - However, there were a few lions and tigers that they had to beat off!

All Jo Jo's friends were waiting for him.
"Hey Jo Jo, did you get your money back for that rotten umbrella?"
"No, but I know how it works now."
"Oh you do do you Jo Jo? Alright next time it rains, we will come round to your house, and you can show us how it keeps you dry in the rain - Ha Ha."

The very next day, it poured with rain. Despite that all Jo Jo's friends came out, and knocked on his door (knock, knock).
"Hey Jo Jo, in case you hadn't noticed, it's raining. Come on out and bring that magic umbrella with you. Show us how it keeps you dry in the rain. Ha Ha."
So Jo Jo picked up his umbrella and walked to the centre of the village square. All Jo Jo's friends were watching. But Jo Jo got his umbrella, pushed the little switch like he had been told, gave it a little shake, opened it up, and held it above his head. Of course, the rain fell on the umbrella instead of on Jo Jo. So Jo Jo looked around at all his friends and said
"Ha Ha. The joke's on you now, because I'm nice and dry under this umbrella, and all you are getting soaking wet!"

Conclusion.

Jo Jo finally learned how to use his umbrella the right way. But until he did, it was absolutely useless to him. And the right way to use it was "to open it up." That story reminds me of something many people have got, but it is absolutely useless to them if they don't know the right way to use it. I wonder if anyone can guess what I am talking about? - - - - - I will give you a clue, it is a book. - - - - - That's right, the answer is the Bible. Many people have a Bible, but unless they know the right way to use it, they might as well not have it.

Can anyone tell me what makes the Bible special? What makes it different from every other book that has ever been written? - - - - - That's right as Christians we believe that God, the Creator Himself, wrote the Bible. That is why it is often called God's Word. Please don't misunderstand me, ordinary people wrote down the words that we read in the Bible. But God told them what to write. God is the Author.

The Bible is important to us for four main reasons:-

1. It is a book about God.

The Bible is a book that God has written about Himself. So if you want to know what God is really like - Go to the Bible, because nobody knows God better than God knows God!

2. It is a book about ourselves.

The Bible is a book that God has written about us. It is often likened to a mirror. If you want to know what you are like on the outside, you look in a mirror. But if you want to know what you are really like on the inside (what the Bible calls your heart or spirit) - Go to the Bible, because God created you and knows you better than anyone else.

3. It is an instruction book for life.

God knows what's good for you, and He knows what is bad. If you keep going to the Bible, and doing what it says, you won't go far wrong in life. But if you never look at the Bible, or ignore what is says, you are bound to make mistakes and go off in wrong directions through life.

4. It tells you how to become God's friend.

God created us to be His friends - so that He can enjoy us, and we can enjoy Him, both now and forever. And the Bible tells us how through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we can all become God's friends.

Question.

What is the only way that the Bible will do you any good? Suppose you took it to school with you and just before doing a test, you take it out, tap it for luck and say "I will get top marks today, because I have my Bible with me." Would that do you any good? No, of course not. What then is the only way that the Bible will do you any good? - - - - - that's right, by reading it. So remember the story of Jo Jo and the umbrella. The only way it could do him any good was by opening it up. It is the same with the Bible. It is meant to be opened up and read.

This is my Bible {Produce a warn looking Bible, the more tattered the better}. You are probably thinking "Oh Mr, ________, your Bible is a disgrace. It is battered, warn and dirty." So it is. But that is how I like to see a Bible. When I see a scruffy Bible like this, I know that the owner has been using it in the right way. They have been taking it out, opening it up, and reading it. When I see a nice clean looking Bible, I think the owner has put it away somewhere like a bookcase and forgotten about it. It stays clean in the bookcase! But it doesn't do you any good there. It is God's love letter to you and, like any letter, is meant to be read.

After reading the Bible, we are meant to DO what it says. It is no good reading in the Bible where it says, for example, we should treat other people as we would like them to treat us, if you argue and fight with your brother or sister! No. We need to be obedient to what God says in the Bible. Then it will do us good!

Object Lessons.

The following object lessons can be used in association with the above story.

O.L. 38 - Obedience brings success.

This is a very popular object lesson that children love to try for themselves.

Effect. Place a square handkerchief (linen or paper) in a "diamond" shape on a flat surface. Lay a pencil across the centre of the handkerchief. Bring the bottom corner of the handkerchief up to the top, but ensure that it slightly overlaps. The pencil will now, of course, be covered. Place a hand on the pencil through the handkerchief, and tightly roll it up until the lower corner flips over. Unroll the handkerchief, and you will see that the pencil is now on the top. i.e. it appears to have penetrated the handkerchief from inside to outside. Try it out. It is much simpler than it sounds!

Explanation. By rolling up the handkerchief until one corner 'flips over', you are actually turning it inside out, and thus bringing the pencil from the inside to the outside. The critical part is ensuring that only one corner flips over. If both ( or no) corners are flipped, the pencil will remain on the inside.

Application. This illustration can be used to complement any teaching on Obedience. I usually use it in connection with Ephesians 6 v. 1.

Example. " If you obey your, Parents, God has promised that you will be successful. If my volunteer here obeys me, he will be able to pass this pencil from the inside to the outside of this handkerchief. What I want you to do is roll it up tightly, tap it three times with your finger, unroll it, and the pencil will have passed through the material - you will be successful. Wait a minute! First let us see what will happen if you are disobedient, and you tap the pencil four times? (Ensure that the rolling stops just before the flip over). Oh dear. You were unsuccessful because you were disobedient! This time you can be obedient (Ensure the bottom corner flips over). Wonderful. Your obedience has brought success!

You may wish to get a few more volunteers to try it out. All you need to remember is that you control the flip overs, depending on whether you want the person to be successful or not. It is very rare for any volunteer or spectator to notice the differences in the three ways you can roll up the handkerchief - i.e. no, one, or two flip overs.

O.L. 13. God's guidance.
"We are all on a journey through life, and God has given us two things to help us - His Word, the Bible and the Holy Spirit. If, however, we try and travel through life on our own - without calling on God to Guide us - we will make mistakes, and go off in directions that are not part of God’s plan for us."
Produce an ordinary (round) balloon. Blow it up, but do not tie it. Choose a volunteer to be your target. Have him/her stand about 6 meters away. " This balloon represents a person trying to go through life on their own. Most people do want to go the right way. Their intentions are good. Therefore I am starting off by pointing the balloon at the target, but let's see what will happen when I let go!" It will almost certainly miss the target. Repeat a few times. You may be able to obtain "Rocket" balloons. These are long, and buzz as they travel through the air. Children love them, but they will still miss their targets!
"What this balloon needs is a Guidance system - something to help it hit its target. I have one right here. Produce a 6 or 7 meter piece of string, and thread one end through a drinking straw. Have a second volunteer stand just behind the target, holding the other end. Blow up your balloon and tape it under the straw - see diagram. Let the balloon go, and watch it hit its target. "That balloon kept right on target, because it had something to guide it. In the same way, we will stay on target in our journey through life - If we let the Bible and the Holy Spirit guide us."

A Lie funny.
A clergyman was walking down the street when he came upon a group of about a dozen boys, all of them between 10 and 12 years of age.The group surrounded a dog. Concerned lest the boys were hurting the dog, he went over and asked "What are you doing with that dog?"One of the boys replied, "This dog is just an old neighborhood stray. We all want him, but only one of us can take him home. So we've decided that whichever one of us can tell the biggest lie will get to keep the dog."Of course, the reverend was taken aback. "You boys shouldn't be having a contest telling lies!" he exclaimed. He then launched into a ten minute sermon against lying, beginning, "Don't you boys know it's a sin to lie," and ending with, "Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie."There was dead silence for about a minute. Just as the reverend was beginning to think he'd gotten through to them, the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, "All right, give him the dog."

Maurice and "George".

2008-07-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 68.

2008-07-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 68.

New Web site.

If any of you ever wondered what I do when I am not writing these Newsletters, you can check out my newest "Blog' at http://www.unclemaurice.blogspot.com/ This concerns my children's ministry here in Auckland, New Zealand.

A Creation special - Part 2

This month I conclude my teaching on Creation by again drawing together some of my previously published material, plus a couple of 'new' items. I hope that you will find them challenging and helpful to ytour ministry.

Maurice Sweetsur

Contents.

Letter to an atheist - A Birdbox and a tree.
T.T. 20 - Creation and Evolution.
Creation or Evolution? - A comparison.
T.T. 47 - Big bang or big mess?
Your questions answered.
(Taken from "Kidzone - Archives" - http://www.kidzonearchives.blogspot.com/ ).
Who made God?
Is there life elsewhere in the universe?
Why did God make us, and the world?
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
When did God create the dinosaurs?
Why is water essential for life?
Why did God use Adam's rib to create Eve?
After Eden

Letter to an atheist: A birdbox and a tree
by David Catchpoole

Dear ‘open-minded atheist’,

You ask me how I could possibly believe in a Creator given that certain high-profile scientists1 say that no Creator was necessary? Well, let’s take a simple example. Do you see (in the photo at right) the birdbox—where did it come from?
Of course you would say that somebody must have made it, but how do you know that? After all, you didn’t see anyone making it, so how do you know the birdbox had a maker?
(I’m being quite serious—like you, I also realize the birdbox must have been made by someone—but I would like you to ponder how it was that you came to that conclusion.)
Here’s how I would answer. Even though I didn’t see anybody making it, I can see that it has a degree of organization and complexity which, though limited, is never seen to come about by natural processes. Someone must have made it, and attached it to the tree—probably for the purpose of attracting birds so that the maker/owner of the birdbox could enjoy their singing and admire them at close range.
And now, three questions:
Can that birdbox capture the sun’s energy and convert it into useful fuel? Answer: No.
Can that birdbox repair itself if part of it is broken off, e.g. by strong winds in a storm? Answer: No.
Can that birdbox generate copies of itself, which in turn can produce further copies, which in turn can reproduce themselves, and so on? Answer: No!
And yet, the tree, to which the birdbox is attached, can do all of those things—yet you say that the tree had no Creator, that it’s simply the product of time and chance? Where’s the logic in that? When you consider just the ordered complexity of photosynthesis (capturing of the sun’s energy),2 man hasn’t even yet fully described all that’s going on in photosynthesis, let alone been able to duplicate it!3,4,5 If the birdbox had a designer (and it obviously did, as we both acknowledge) then so too did the tree—and whoever designed the tree is obviously one super-Intelligent Designer!
Just as it is written in the Bible:
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.
Romans 1:20a (English Standard Version)
Regards,
A Christian friend

Teaching tip 20 - Creation and Evolution.

I don't usually mention the theory of evolution in my classes, concentrating instead on just teaching Creation from God's Word. Sometimes, however, an older child may raise the subject. Then I will proceed along the following lines. I explain the basics of special creation by God and evolution, and then state that there are two ways we can test which one is more likely to be true.

1. Ask "Is evolution happening today?" The answer is obviously "No." We never observe one kind of creature changing into a different kind. Thus, cats always give birth to cats, dogs give dogs, potatoes give potatoes and carrots give carrots etc. etc.

2. Is there any evidence to show that evolution ever happened in the past? Again the answer is "No." Fossils are a collection of 'dead things' - creatures and plants that lived and died in the past. But the fossil record shows clearly defined species, with no evidence of one type of creature changing into a different type. If evolution were true, we would expect to find billions of transitional forms. But they are just not there.

There have been a number of claims that 'intermediate' forms have been found (e.g. ape-men), but on further inspection they have proved to be false. So-called ape-men, for example, have subsequently been shown to be really either apes, men, or fraudulent hoaxes (e.g. Pilkdown man).

Science is concerned solely with what is happening in the present. It cannot tell us anything about what happened in the past. So when it comes to the origins of things, we move into the realm of speculation and personal faith. Ultimately, the question is "Who are we going to believe? Fallible men who weren't there in the beginning, or God who is the only one who was there?"

Creation or Evolution? - A comparison.

Some people try to reconcile Creation, as revealed in Genesis, with the theory of evolution which some scientists believe is the way everything came into existence. Basically these people say that "God used evolution." However, a brief look at these two belief systems show that they contradict each other in too many areas. They cannot both be true. Consider the following :-

God's record of creation in Genesis Evolutionary long-age theory

Earth before sun and stars Sun and stars before earth
Earth covered with water at first Earth a molten blob at first
Oceans before dry land Dry land before oceans
Life first created on the land as plants Life started in the ocean
Plants created before the sun Plants formed after the sun
Fish and birds created together Fish formed long before birds
Birds created before land animals Land animals formed before birds
Whales created before land animals Land animals formed before whales
Man and dinosaurs lived together Dinosaurs died out long before man
Creation completed in six days Evolution going on into the future

Some people say "God could have used evolution." True, but the point is not what God could have done, but rather what did God say he did? The question then is:- Do you believe God's word, the Bible, or do you believe an unprovable theory devised by fallible men? However, if you don't believe the beginning of the Bible, what justification do you have for believing any of it's other parts?

Teaching tip 47 - Big bang or big mess?

People who deny the existence of God have therefore to believe that the Universe created itself out of nothing. (To believe that actually requires a lot more faith than I have got!). So how then do atheists explain how the Universe formed? Most use the idea of a 'big bang', even though none of them were there to see what actually happened.

They say that first of all there was absolutely nothing. But then, they claim, all the energy and matter contained in the billions of stars in the universe was somehow there, separated into a single point, which suddenly 'exploded'. This somehow formed lots of hydrogen gas, which spread out and filled the universe. Then the clouds of hydrogen gas started to pull themselves together by gravity. These clouds got hotter and hotter until they each formed a star. Then these stars exploded and formed all the other elements like carbon and oxygen, that made up all the stuff in the universe, including you and me.

But where did the first energy come from? How could it all have been contained in a single point? What made this point explode? And who ever heard of an explosion making order and design? What happens when fireworks explode? You certainly get a bang, but all you have left is a big mess!

There are lots of sound scientific reasons why the big bang idea is wrong, could not work, and simply did not happen.

It is far easier, in fact, to believe that Almighty God made the sun, the moon, the stars and everything in the universe the way He says He did in the Bible.

Your questions answered.
Of all the hundreds of questions that children have asked me over the last 28 years of teaching them 'Bible', I would say that well over half of them concerned creation. Here are a few of them.
Who made God? (Kidzone 1).
"If I told you the answer to that, I know what your next question would be. You would say "Who made the person who made God ?" Then, if I told you that , you would ask "Who made the person who made the person who made God ?" Then, if I told you that, you would ask "Who made the person who made the person who made the person who made God ?" etc. etc.
No, the answer is NOBODY made God. God is eternal. That means He has no beginning or end. He has always existed. In fact, there was a time when there was no matter (solid things), no space, and no time, only God Himself. Then God spoke and by His power brought everything in the Universe into existence. The exciting thing is that although we have a beginning, God has made each one of us eternal as well. That means the "real you" - your Soul and Spirit will never die.
I know this is hard for us to understand, because we are used to living in time, with beginnings and endings. But let us consider the alternative. If there is no God (or Creator), that means that everything in the Universe must have created itself - beginning with nothing. Our common sense tells us that nothing can make itself - it has to have a maker or creator. That is why most people in the world believe in a Creator (God). It requires far, far too much faith to believe that everything made itself out of nothing. It is far easier to believe that there always has been a loving God who created everything.
Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? (Kidzone 2).
Surveys in a number of countries indicate that the majority of people believe that there is other life in the Universe, apart from on earth.
We now know that the Universe is absolutely enormous, with countless billions and billions of stars (our sun is a star). People reason that because there are so many stars, there are probably billions and billions of planets associated with them. And the chances are that millions and millions of these planets will be similar to earth, and therefore capable of sustaining life.
Unfortunately, some people believe that life can form itself by chance processes, and if it has happened on earth - then why not on other planets as well? However life CANNOT form itself. A creation needs a Creator. A design needs a Designer. The only One who can create life is God.
So the question we should really be asking is "Has God created life on other planets?"
The only Person who knows everything about everything is God. And God has written us a book called the Bible, which tells us everything we really need to know about life. Therefore the first place we should go to find out if something is true or not is the Bible. Unfortunately, the Bible doesn't say if there is life somewhere other than on earth, so we cannot know for sure. However, by studying the Bible, it does seem that life (certainly intelligent life) outside of the earth is extremely unlikely.
The Bible makes it clear that our earth (small as it may be) is THE most important place in the Universe. It was on earth that God created the first man, Adam. It was here that Adam sinned and brought God's curse on "the whole of creation." thus bringing it into "bondage to decay" (see Romans 8. 21). If there were extraterrestrials (ET's) on other planets, it would hardly be fair that their world was adversely affected because of Adam's sin here on earth!
It was on our earth that God's Son, Jesus Christ, died for our sins "once for all" and redeemed (bought back) the "whole of creation" to Himself. If Jesus died on earth "once for all", that seems to exclude the possibility of Him then going off to other planets to die all over again!
And it will be to here on earth that Jesus will one day return for those of us who are trusting in him. The Bible talks about us (the Church) becoming "the Bride of Christ". And I can't imagine Jesus having more than one bride!
Although we cannot therefore know for certain that there is not life elsewhere in the Universe, if it does exist, we can know three things about it :-
1. It is younger than life on earth, because God didn't create the sun, moon, stars, and consequently any planets that may be associated with them, until Day 4 of the Creation week, whereas He made the earth on Day 1.
2. There is no need to be worried that the earth may be invaded by ET's who are able to take control because they are more advanced and/or intelligent than we are. No. Any other life forms, if they exist at all, cannot be superior to us, because we humans are made in God's image - and you can't get better than the best!
3. It is not important to us on earth. God tells us in the Bible everything that is really important for our lives. Therefore, as it doesn't mention life outside of earth, it cannot be important to us, if it exists at all. If it were important, the Bible would have mentioned it.
Your Questions Answered - Why did God make us, and the world? (Kidzone 6).

We are all on a journey through life, but some people live all their lives without ever finding out why they are here on planet earth in the first place. It is such a shame. Would you get on a train or a bus without knowing where it was going? I don't think so. But for some people, life is rather like being on a journey without knowing where they came from, why they are on the journey, or even where they are going!

The answer to the question is quite easy. God created us to be His friends, so He can enjoy us, and we can enjoy Him, both now and forever. Therefore, we came from God - he created us, He did so to be His friends, and, if we are trusting in Jesus, we are on our way to heaven.

God made the world (in fact the entire Universe and everything in it) for our benefit. He wants us to enjoy it, and to look after it on His behalf. What a wonderful, privileged position God has given us human beings.

Your Questions Answered - Which came first the chicken or the egg? (Kidzone 8).
People like asking this question because there appears to be no answer to it. If someone answered 'the chicken', they would say "But the chicken must have come from an egg!" But if someone answered 'the egg', they would say "But the egg must have come from a chicken!"
The answer to the question is - The Chicken. God made the first of each type of creature fully formed. For example, He created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve as mature human beings. God made the first of each type living form, each with seeds within themselves so that they could then reproduce after their own kind. And this is what we find in nature today. Thus oak trees (their seeds are called acorns) produce oak trees, carrots produce carrots, cats produce cats, dogs produce dogs etc. etc. And chickens have seeds, (contained in their eggs) which produce chickens.

Your Questions Answered - When did God create the Dinosaurs? (Kidzone 9).

The Bible tells us that God created all the land animals, including dinosaurs, on the sixth day of the creation week. He also created the first people (Adam and Eve) on the same day.

Some people may try and tell you that dinosaurs lived and died millions of years before people were on the earth. But there is absolutely no evidence to support that claim. I choose rather to believe God who, unlike people, was here in the beginning, knows everything and cannot lie.

The word 'dinosaur' (meaning terrible lizard) cannot be found in the Bible, but that is because it was only first used about 165 years ago after bones from these reptiles began to be discovered. However, a dinosaur-like animal called Behemoth is described in Job 40. 15-19. This fits the description of what is called today a Brachiosaurus. And a sea-going monster called Leviathan is described in Job 41. Thus from the Bible, it is clear that man and dinosaurs once lived together.

Dinosaurs were reptiles. The major difference between them and other reptiles, like crocodiles, was the position of their limbs. These came out from under their bodies, rather than from their sides. This gave them a fully erect posture, similar to mammals. Some dinosaurs were small (about the size of a chicken) and some were very large, weighing an estimated 80 tons and standing over 10 metres high. Like many creatures which once inhabited the earth, dinosaurs are now (probably) extinct. Many would have been drowned at the time of Noah's flood. But the few that were saved on the ark may not have been able to survive the dramatic changes in climatic conditions after the flood.

Your Questions Answered - Why is water essential for life? (Kidzone 10).

God certainly made us a lot of water. In fact 70% of the earth's surface is covered with it, although only about 1% of it is ready to drink.

The vast amount of water on the Earth's surface helps keep Earth's temperature fairly steady. This is because it takes a lot more of the sun's energy to warm water than it does to warm land. So the land heats up during the day and cools down during the night more quickly than the ocean does. This gives different air temperatures over the land than over the sea, and this generates winds. Winds keep the air we breathe fresh, as well as bringing clouds and rain to the land.

Without water we would die in a few days. This is because it plays a part in almost every process that occurs in our bodies. Our bodies are mainly water, and water is a major part of our blood.

One of the most important things about water is that it can dissolve many other substances. Because of this, the water in our blood can carry vitamins and minerals from the food we have eaten to the rest of our body, where they are needed for growth, repair and energy.

Water also flushes our bodies of waste products, one of which is carbon dioxide produced by our cells. The water in our blood dissolves this and carries it back to our lungs where we breathe it out. When water evaporates, it absorbs heat from its surroundings. This is why sweating cools us down.

Water contains dissolved oxygen from the air, enabling fish and other water-animals to live in it.

One of the most unusual but important properties of water is that it expands when it freezes (other liquids contract). This is why icebergs float, and why ice forms first on the top of water instead of on the bottom. This means that fish can swim underneath the ice. Otherwise, all the water in a river or lake could freeze and the fish would be killed.

God certainly knew what He was doing when He designed water to be the way it is.

As liquid water is essential for life, that is why space probes have been sent to other planets to search for it. They haven't found any yet, but even if they did, that would not mean that there was life there. Water cannot produce life. Rather, life is the result of a special creation by God.

Your questions answered - Why did God use Adam's rib to create Eve? (Kidzone 12).

To make the first woman, God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. Then He took one of Adam's ribs and built Eve from it. Eve was to become Adam's helper and wife. The name 'Eve' means 'life', because she would become the mother of the whole human race. Everybody who has ever lived since then has descended from her.

God chose to use a rib rather than one of Adam's other bones because this is the one bone in our body that will grow back if it is removed. Thus Adam would not have to go through life with one rib short. If he had done so, this world would not have been perfect. And God clearly tells us that His creation was indeed perfect in the beginning, before Adam and Eve's later rebellion in the garden of Eden which spoiled everything.

Some people mistakenly believe that because God removed one of Adam's ribs, all males now have one less rib than females. This is completely untrue. We all have 24 ribs each, 12 on each side of our rib cages.

God blessed Adam and Eve and told them to have many children and fill the earth. So it was God who designed marriage of a man and a woman, and the family unit, way back in the beginning.

Newsletter 67.

2008-06-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 67 from Maurice Sweetsur.

Maurice's Programme for July.

The following is my programme, that has so far been confirmed, for July. Anyone living in the Auckland area that wishes to come along to any of these events will be very welcome. Most programmes run for about 1 hour. Email me if you require further details.

Sun. June 29. West City Christian Centre, Glendene. Sunday school. 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Wed. July 2. Maraetai Presbyterian church. Kids club 3.15 p.m.
Sun. July 6. Papakura Anglican church. Sunday school. 9.30 a.m.
Tues. July 8. Clevedon Anglican church. Holiday programme. 2 p.m.
Tues. July 8. Christian Youth Camps, Ngaruawahia. 7 p.m.
Wed. July 9. Northcross Community church, Browns Bay. Holiday programme. 1 p.m.
Fri. July 11. Avondale Reformed church. Holiday programme. 1 p.m.
Sun. July 13. Papakura Anglican church. Sunday school. 9.30 a.m.
Tues. July 15. Clevedon Anglican church. Holiday programme. 2 p.m.
Tues. July 15. Christian Youth Camps, Ngaruawahia. 7 p.m.
Wed. July 16. St.Peter's Anglican church, Pakuranga. Holiday programme. 10 a.m.
Sun July 20. Windsor Park Baptist church, Mairangi Bay. Sunday school. 8.30 a.m. and 11.15 a.m.
Sun. July 27. Church of the Good Shepherd, Massey. Sunday school. 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

RECENT COMMENT.

Hi Maurice, many thanks for today, it was great and the feedback from mum's & dad's and the kids was very positive. We had over 80 people and at least 55 of those were kids, probably 45 of whom we had not seen regularly before, so we are hoping there will a good spin off for a future ongoing children's work at the Church. So THANKS for your help in giving us a "kick start".

Pastor Ray White,
Manukau Apostolic church.

A Creation special - Part 1.

Regular readers of my Newsletters will know how much importance I place on teaching children Biblical creation, as described in the first eleven chapters of Genesis. Without a good knowledge about what God said about 'the beginnings' they won't be fully able to understand other Biblical doctrines, especially those concerning the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore when children (possibly when they are older) are exposed to the teaching of evolution, they may become confused, or even start to regard the Bible stories as simply myths.

Over the last six years I have shared quite a lot of ideas concerning the teaching of creation. I have now drawn all these together, and will share them in this and my next Newsletter.

Maurice Sweetsur

Contents.

T.T. 43 - Our amazing earth.
O.L. 20 - Teaching Creation using balloon modelling.
T.T. 4 - Ideas on teaching about Creation.
O.L. 29 - A memory feat.
The vastness of the universe.
O.L. 37 - God can do things instantly.
O.L. 28 - God's provision.

T.T. 43 - Our amazing earth.

God created the earth as it is for the benefit of His 'Special Creation' - us! We are to enjoy it and look after it (including everything that God has created on it, such as the animals) on His behalf.

God made the earth just right for us to live on. Even very small changes in the earth's conditions would make life, as we know it, impossible.

Consider the following ten facts - - - -

1. The earth is about 150 million kilometres from the sun. This is exactly the right distance to hold the temperature between 0 degrees C. and 40 degrees C. on most of the earth. This is the temperature needed to sustain most life. But if the earth were just 5% closer to the sun, not only would it be too hot for us, but the oceans would boil and the water would all evaporate. It has been calculated that even a 2 degree C. rise in the average surface temperature of the earth would be enough to melt the polar ice caps and cause devastating flooding). If the earth were only 5% further away from the sun, the oceans would freeze, making life in them and transport on them impossible.

2. The earth's orbit around the sun is nearly a perfect circle. If, as in the case of most other planets, the orbit were oval shaped (like an egg), the earth would be blazing hot as it approached the sun, and deathly cold as it moved away from it.

3. The earth rotates once on its axis every 24 hours. If it didn't rotate, one side would be day all the time and be very hot, and the other would be night all the time and be very cold. If the earth's speed of rotation were much slower than it is, our days would still be very hot, and our nights very cold. If the rotation were much faster, the wind would blow so strongly that we wouldn't be able to stand up in the open. The length of each day and night is also just right for the amount of sleep we need.

4. The earth is tilted on its axis by about 23 degrees. If it wasn't tilted this way, we would have no seasons. Countries near the equator would be very hot. Those far from the equator would be too cold to grow food - resulting in a world-wide food shortage.

6. The diameter of the earth is about 13,000 Kilometres. If it were only about 10% less than this then, because of the consequent reduction in gravity, most of the oxygen which we need to breathe would escape into outer space. If the diameter of the earth were 10% greater than at present, the increased gravity, and hence air pressure, would cause the polar ice caps to melt - resulting in devastating flooding.

7. Our atmosphere contains about 21% oxygen, which is just right for life on earth. A much higher level would make the planet highly inflammable, but at a much lower level, fire would not burn at all. And we would find it very hard to breathe!

Another type of oxygen is ozone. This forms a layer in our atmosphere which absorbs the very harmful ultraviolet light from the sun and prevents it reaching us on the earth. The problem with ozone is that it is poisonous. So where to we find this ozone layer? About 15 kilometres above the earth's surface, where it can do us no harm.

8. The pull of gravity on the earth by the moon and the sun causes the tides. Tides cleanse the ocean's shores, help put oxygen (that fish breathe) into the water, and help keep the ocean currents moving, preventing the sea from becoming stagnant. If the moon were a little smaller or a little further away than at present, there would be very little tidal action, resulting in even the oceans becoming stagnant and the death of all aquatic creatures. If the moon were a little larger or a little nearer than at present, the tidal action would be too severe, with low lying areas being flooded twice a day!

9. Unlike the earth, the moon doesn't rotate about its axis. This means that the same side of the moon always faces the earth. This side is made up of mostly dark dust, and so it only reflects about 7% of its sunlight to the earth. The other side of the moon is extremely rocky, and therefore very reflective. If this side faced the earth, our nights would be almost as bright as our days, thus making sleeping very difficult.

10. Although we don't know the purpose of all the planets in the solar system, we do know that the two largest, Jupiter (318 times the size of the earth) and Saturn (95 times the size of the earth), with their strong gravities, are in just the right positions to pull many comets and meteors away and prevent them crashing into the earth and killing us all.

O.L. 20. Teaching Creation using balloon modelling.

When introducing the topic of Creation, I usually start by emphasizing the point that there are two things that only God can do.

Firstly, although people are very clever, and can do such things like land a man on the moon, invent televisions or computers, they cannot make something out of nothing. Given starting materials, people can often change their properties - size, shape, colour, texture etc., but they cannot make something out of nothing - only God can do that.

Secondly, people cannot make something that is living out of something that is not living. Again, only God can do that.

I then proceed by stating that I am now going to re-create two of the creatures that God first created on the fifth and sixth days of the Creation week. I then make a balloon bird (or fish) and a balloon animal, continuing my talk as I do so. ( If you don't do balloon modelling, you can still get your point across by simply cutting out appropriate shapes from pieces of paper).

As you make the shapes, emphasize that you are starting with something that already exists e,g. your uninflated balloon and some air. Then state that for anybody to make anything ( whether it be a watchmaker, a car-maker, a shoe-maker, or a balloon animal maker) only two things are needed - Know-how ( or intelligence ) and Power ( or energy ). Without power, your idea will remain only in your head, and without know-how (or an intelligent plan), you will just make a big mess!

As your models near completion, ask "If I had more know-how, do you think I would make a better or worse model?" The children will respond "better." Then ask "The Bible tells us that God has all know-how (He knows everything and is super-intelligent), so how good do you think God could make things?" The children should respond "very good" or "perfect." Then state " That's exactly right. The Bible tells us that in the beginning, God created a perfect world."

Then ask "If I had more power, do you think I could make these models faster or slower than I can now?" The response will be "faster." Then ask "All the power in the Universe belongs to God, so how fast do you think He could make things?" The children should respond "in a split second" or "instantly." State "That's exactly right. The Bible tells us that God not only created a perfect world, but He also made everything in it instantly - just by speaking."

Alternatively (for a younger class) you could simply produce a balloon animal which has already been made, and ask "How do you think this model was made? Do you think it could have been made by accident? Perhaps someone left an uninflated balloon in this room last night, and left the window open. Overnight, the wind blew through the window and into the balloon. The balloon then began twisting itself round and round until it formed the shape of this animal which you see here now. Finally, the end of the balloon managed to tie itself in a knot to stop the air escaping. Do you think that really happened, or do you think that there is a balloon model maker somewhere who made this animal on purpose?" The children should see the absurdity of the model being able to make itself by accident, and respond "There is a balloon model maker somewhere." Emphasise the point that everything the children see around them has to have a maker. Watches need watchmakers, shoes need shoemakers, chairs need carpenters etc. Nothing can make itself.

You will then be able to apply the above argument to the creation of the Universe and everything in it. State "There are some people who believe that the Universe made itself by accident. But the Universe is far more wonderful and complex than a balloon animal, and if even that couldn't make itself, then how likely is it that the whole Universe made itself? No, the Bible teaches us that we have wonderful Creator who made the Universe and everything in it on purpose. And the good news is :- He made it all for our benefit.

Teaching Tip 4 - Ideas on teaching about Creation.

I can think of no other Bible topic that lends itself to so many fun activities for children than creation. Here are a few examples that you could incorporate into your lessons on this subject.

1. (Object Lesson 41 - The earth, sun and moon). After teaching how God created the earth, sun and moon, get three children to act out their motions.
a. The sun stays still, but always shines (smiles).
b. The earth travels round the sun, rotating as it does so (365+ spins per one circuit round the sun!).
c. The moon travels round the earth, remembering to always keep its same side facing the earth.

I have always found this to be great fun for children of all ages. Usually the 'moon' finds it hard to keep up with the earth, causing great hilarity among the spectators.

You could explain that God has made the conditions on earth just right for life. Even small changes would make life, as we know it, impossible. Ask "What would it be like on earth if - - - ?

1. The earth was nearer to the sun -------- Too hot. (It has been calculated that even a 2 degree C. rise in the average surface temperature of the earth would be enough to melt the polar ice caps and cause devastating flooding).
2. The earth was further away from the sun ------ Too cold.
3. The earth didn't rotate once on its axis every 24 hours ------ One side would be day all the time and be very hot. The other would be night all the time and be very cold.
4. The earth rotated faster than now ------ Very short days and nights, and constant hurricane force winds.
5. The earth wasn't tilted on its axis ------ No seasons. Countries near the equator would be very hot. Those far from the equator would be too cold to grow food - resulting in a world-wide food shortage.
6. The diameter of the earth was (say 10%) less than its present 13,000 Kilometres ------- Because of the consequent reduction in gravity, most of the oxygen which we need to breathe would escape into outer space.
7. The diameter of the earth was 10% greater than at present ------ The increased gravity, and hence air pressure would cause the polar ice caps to melt - resulting in devastating flooding.
8. The moon was a little smaller or a little further away than at present ------ Very little tidal action, resulting in even the oceans becoming stagnant and the death of all aquatic creatures.
9. The moon was a little larger or a little nearer than at present ------ Too severe tidal action, with low lying areas being flooded twice a day!

What a wonderful Creator we have, who not only made the earth just right for us to inhabit, but He also keeps it that way year, after year, after year.

2. (Object Lesson 42 - Gravity). Get a soft, hollow ball and pierce two holes in it close to each other. Thread a piece of string through the holes and tie together. You are now ready to demonstrate the importance of having the right strength of gravity as the earth circles the sun.

Hold the end of the string, and swing the ball round your head. Explain that your head represents the sun, and the ball represents the earth travelling round it year after year at a constant speed. Also, because gravity remains the same, the earth remains the same distance from the sun.

Ask, "What would happen to the earth if God increased gravity a little?" Demonstrate the effect by letting the ball crash into your head.

Ask "What would happen if God decreased gravity a little?" Demonstrate by letting go of the string. The ball will fly off to the other side of the room!

3. (Object Lesson 43 - Can nothing turn into something?). Bring an empty jar to your class, complete with lid. Ask the children to watch the jar for you for a few weeks, and tell you if anything begins to appear on the inside.

After a few weeks, ask the children if anything has begun to grow inside the jar? No. Ask, if you left the jar in the room for a year, with the lid closed, they think something will then have begun to grow - perhaps a little ant? No. How about 10 years? 100 years? A million years? Ever? The answer is still no. Explain that if nothing cannot become something in a few weeks, there is absolutely no reason to believe that it could ever do so. (You may wish to explain that there is actually air in your jar, but if even the air could not turn into something, there is certainly no way that 'nothing' could).

Some people do believe, however, that this did happen. They call it Evolution. They say that a long time ago, there was nothing. But them this nothing, all by itself, managed to become something, and that this something kept changing and changing into all the variety of things we see today, including us! The Bible tells us, however, that in the space of six days God, through His power, created the Universe and everything in it. God not only made everything complete and perfect, He made it all for our benefit - for us to enjoy and take care of.

4. (Object Lesson 44 - Dependence on oxygen). Talk about how God created the air ( or oxygen ), and then demonstrate how dependent we are on this by getting the children to see how long they can survive without it, i.e. how long they can hold their breath. If the oxygen level were a little less than its present 21%, breathing would be difficult. If it were a little higher, the fire danger would be greatly increased.

5. If you were the Creator! Give each child a circular piece of plain cardboard (or paper). Ask them to imagine that they are the Creator, and that they are going to create a new world by drawing on their cardboard. Allow a few minutes for this, and give a few suggestions e.g. birds, flowers, animals, people.

When complete, ask the children to close their eyes and imagine the creatures in their perfect world coming alive - singing, laughing, playing etc. Everything is wonderful.

Now ask the children to imagine that something has gone wrong in their perfect world. People are arguing, fighting and killing each other. The animals are killing and eating each other. Weeds are growing among the flowers.

Explain that this is exactly what happened with God's perfect world. The question to the children is, "What should they do about their world that has gone bad?" Give them four options:-

1. Destroy their world. (You will probably find that most children will vote for this option!)
2. Send someone to teach the people how to be good.
3. Go yourself to show the people how to love each other.
4. Give the people the power to change and be good.

Conclude by explaining that God didn't choose to destroy His world, because He still loved it even after it had gone bad. Rather, He chose options 2, 3, and best of all No. 4.

6. An Amazing flying machine.

Talk about all the money and brain power that have gone into making some marvellous flying machines, such as Concorde, the Space shuttle, Stealth bombers, etc. Then say that you are now going to talk about an amazing flying machine that is far more wonderful than all the others put together! This flying machine can take off and land sideways on a vertical wall! It has tremendous manoeuvrability, being able to instantly change direction. It can take off with amazing acceleration. It has the ability to sense danger, and can take off and be out of danger in a split second. If it develops a fault, it can often correct itself. It has the ability to find it's own fuel and refuel itself, and it even has the ability to reproduce itself - to make many other flying machines just like itself! "Would you children like to see a picture of this amazing flying machine? Here it is - a fly! (Produce a picture of an ordinary house fly - there are plenty available on the internet). God's creations are far more wonderful than people can make!"

7. Children are fascinated with dinosaurs. You may be able to purchase at reasonable cost a suitable fossil, e.g. a dinosaur tooth, or footprint and take this along to your class to talk about.
8. (Object Lesson 45 - "Made after its own kind."). God made the first of every living Biblical "kind", each with the ability to reproduce 'after it's own kind.' To explain this, take along an acorn. Explain that God created the first oak tree, with acorns (seeds) like this one contained in it. Some of those acorns would fall to the ground and grow into other oak trees, just like their parent tree, with each again containing their own acorns. Those, in turn. would fall to the ground and some would grow into more oak trees containing acorns, etc. etc. And that's how we get oak trees today. You may then wish to apply this argument to other living things, emphasising that cats always produce cats, dogs produce dogs, and people produce people etc.

O.L. 29. - A Memory Feat.

Adam was created perfect with a wonderful mind and memory. He had to name all the many different animals that God brought before him, and then would have had to remember all their names. To illustrate this you can then amaze your class by doing your own memory feat.

Have fifty cards, blank on one side and numbered from 1 to 50 on the other. On the same side write , apparently random, six-digit numbers across their centres. State that you are going to memorise all fifty of these six-digit numbers. Flick through the cards as you pretend to memorise them, give them a good shuffle, turn the blank sides upwards and offer the pack to about six volunteers who will each choose a card. One at a time, ask your volunteers to tell you the number of their card (i.e. between 1 and 50), and as they do so write on the board the six-digit number associated with that card! You will achieve a 100 percent success rate!

You will have probably realised by now that you don't really memorise the numbers, rather you calculate them from the card number you are given. This is how you do it :-

To the number you are given (i.e. between 1 and 50), add eleven. Reverse this two-digit number. This will be the first two numbers you write on the board. Add these two numbers together to give your third number. However, if this is a two-digit number, ignore the first digit (i.e. "1") and write down the second. Proceed in this way, adding your last two digits together, until you have written down all six digits. Ask your volunteer to confirm this is the number they have on their card. A few of examples will make this clear :-

Card No. 15. Six-digit No. will be 628088.
Card No. 16 Six-digit No. will be 729101.
Card No. 17 Six-digit No. will be 820224.

As can be seen, even card numbers that are close to each other will produce completely different six-digit numbers.

The vastness of the Universe.
People, especially children, find it difficult to comprehend the vastness of the Universe - and hence the Greatness of God who created it all. Instead of talking about trillions of stars, you could use the Voyager spaceship to help children understand how big our Universe really is.
The Voyager was launched in 1977 to explore the Universe. It travels at a speed of 1.5 million Kilometres a day. Travelling at that speed, it would take the Spaceship :-
30 minutes to travel once round the earth.
6 hours to reach the moon.
3 months to reach the sun.
26 years to reach the outer limits of the solar system (where it is now).
And a massive 40,000 years to reach our nearest star! And, of course, there are trillions of stars in the entire Universe, all of which are much, much further away still.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19.1.

O.L.37 - God can do things instantly.

Here are two 'instant addition' illustrations to help children understand that God doesn't need time to do what He wants to do, rather He can do things instantly.

A. Get a volunteer to write any two four-digit numbers on the board. You then write out the third four-digit number, ensuring that the product of the second and third numbers is 9999. For example, if the second number is 3785, the third number will be 6214. Get your volunteer to write out the fourth four-digit number. You then write out the fifth number, ensuring that the product of the fourth and fifth numbers is again 9999. You are now ready to amaze your class by adding up all five numbers instantly. Your answer will be 2, followed by the first number minus 2. i.e. If the first number is 4567, your answer will be 24565. Here is an example :-

Volunteer 4567
Volunteer 4291
Self 5708
Volunteer 6235
Self 3764

Total = 24565

Get the children to confirm your answer - with their calculators if these are available.

B. Prepare four cards (A,B,C,D), each with a five-digit number on them written from top to bottom as shown.

A B C D

9 6 1 8
1 4 5 7
5 2 4 1
4 7 7 7
2 5 8 4

Get a volunteer to come and stick the cards on the board, in any order they choose, to thus form five four-digit numbers - as per the example above. Remind the children that there are twenty four different ways in which your volunteer could have arranged the cards.

As soon as the cards are in place, write down the product of the five numbers. You could get the children to be adding up the numbers with their calculators at the same time - but you will have the correct answer long before them! To get your instant answer, write down 2, followed by two plus each number in your second four-digit number (1457 in above example), except for the last number (7) which remains unaltered. Thus the answer is 23677.

You may wish to get a second volunteer to come and rearrange the cards, and repeat the procedure. If the cards were rearranged C.B.D,A for example, your answer will be 27691.

O.L. 28. - God's Provision.
There are numerous examples in nature that can help children understand the wonderful provision of God for all of His creation. You can take along to your class such things as flowers, insects and pets, and by showing how God meets all their needs, show how He will also meet all our needs. I usually take along a few dandelions, including one which is ready to shed its seeds, and proceed as follows :-
Most people think of these flowers as weeds, but did you know that God provides for each plant everything it needs to survive, grow well, and produce more dandelions?
Petals. You probably think you are looking at just one flower, but actually what you can see is about a hundred flowers bunched together. Each single petal is a complete flower, capable of producing a perfect seed, to enable another dandelion to grow.
Stem. Now let's look at the stem of the dandelion. As I break it in two, you can see that it is hollow - just like a straw. This means that the stem is very light and flexible. When heavy rain or wind comes, the stem will bend over, but then will be able to spring up again afterwards. If the stem was solid, it would break in the heavy rain or wind.
Leaves. We will now look at the leaves. They appear to be pretty crude and ugly, but actually all these jagged edges, channels and grooves are ideal for collecting rain water and sending it down to the root where it is needed to help the dandelion to grow.
Root. Look how long and strong this root is. It is ideal for holding the dandelion in place when the bad weather comes, and preventing it from being blown away.
Seed head. Let us now examine this dandelion which is ready to shed its seeds. If you look closely at the seed heads, you will see that they are all like tiny parachutes. This means that when a breeze comes, they don't all fall off the parent plant in the same small area and thus have to compete with each other for the same patch of earth to grow in. No, because of the way God has designed them, they are able to float long distances in the breeze, and thus have a much better chance of surviving and growing into other dandelions.
Seed. If you looked at a seed under the microscope, you would see that it is shaped like a screw. This means that after its "parachute" has carried it to a patch of earth, it is able to plant itself by screwing into the ground, thus again giving it a better chance to survive and grow.
As we have seen, God loves each little dandelion so much that He has given it everything it needs to grow well and produce more dandelions. Hands up everyone who thinks that God loves us as much as He does dandelions? (Probably most of the children will raise their hands). Those who have raised their hands are wrong. The Bible teaches that God loves each of us far, far, more than dandelions, or indeed any other of His creations. But if He gives each dandelion everything it needs, how much more will He give to us everything we need!

Newsletter 66.

2008-05-23T03:12:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 66 from Maurice Sweetsur

Contents.

O.L. 70 - Long distance miracles (cutting a banana in half).
Monologue - Esther.
Church funnies.
The Bible and the cell phone.

Object Lesson 70 - Long distance miracles (Cutting a banana in half).

Jesus sometimes healed people from a distance - just by speaking a word of faith. In this illustration you appear to cut a banana in half just by speaking and/or by making a 'chopping' action with your hand towards it.

Preparation.

Take a banana, choose a point near the centre, and push a small sewing needle through the peel and most of the way through the soft centre. With the needle still in place, move it in an upwards and then a downwards direction a few times. This action will cause the centre to be cut in half, but leave the peel largely unaffected. On removing the needle, only a small prick should be visible in the otherwise 'normal' banana.

Illustration.

Show the class your 'normal' (but prepared) banana. Select a volunteer and have them hold up the banana so that everyone can see it. Stand a few metres away from your volunteer and 'command' the banana to be cut in half. At the same time you could make a chopping motion with your hand in the direction of the banana. Finally, get your volunteer to carefully peel the banana. The banana centre should be clearly seen to have been cut into two halves.

Monologue - Esther.

I always enjoy acting in front of my classes, but the following skit, based on the story of Queen Esther, probably gives me more fun than any other.

Although I have called this a monologue, you actually play four different characters - Uncle Mordecai, Esther, King Xerxes and Prime-Minister Haman. Using four different voices may seem a hard task, but I am sure most of you could manage it. I use the following "voices" :-
Mordecai - My normal voice.
Esther - High pitched voice.
Xerxes - Deep voice.
Haman - "Sneaky" (mocking) voice.

I use a scarf as a prop, placed in four different positions as the characters are speaking :-
Mordecai - Held around my waist.
Esther - Placed over my head.
Xerxes - Draped over my shoulders.
Haman - Held on side of face (which I tilt to the side for greater effect).

Introduction.

I introduce the lesson by explaining how the Israelites came to be captive in Babylon, and that they were in great danger of becoming extinct. But God wasn't going to allow that to happen. He still had great plans for them, including the birth of His Son into an Israelite family many years later. He found two 'ordinary' people (Mordecai and his niece Esther) that were willing to be used by Him to rescue the Israelites from their danger.

Monologue. (This may appear to be rather long at first sight, but that is because the sentences have been deliberately kept short to enable rapid change of 'character'. It should only take six or seven minutes to perform, and you will probably find the lines fairly easy to memorise).

Mordecai. I am Mordecai. I am a Jew, and I am very concerned about the great danger my people are in.
Esther. I am Queen Esther. I won the 'Miss Babylon' beauty contest because I am so lovely. Don't you think I am lovely? The first prize was to get married to the King. I wasn't his only wife, but I was his favourite because of my great beauty. However, I thought it best not to tell him that I was a Jew.
Xerxes. I am King Xerxes. And if I make an order, everyone must obey it.
Haman. I am Prime-Minister Haman, and I hate the Jews. The Jews must die, the Jews must die.

Narrator. One day Haman plotted against the Jews. He went to the king and said.

Haman. Oh kingy.
Xerxes. Yes Haman.
Haman. Guess what those Jews are doing now?
Xerxes. I don't know. What are those Jews doing now?
Haman. They disobey your orders.
Xerxes. They disobey my orders!
Haman. Yes, they disobey your orders. You have to do something about it, kingy.
Xerxes. What do you think we should do about it Haman?
Haman. Sign an order saying "The Jews must die".
Xerxes. The Jews must die!
Haman. Yes. They disobey your orders. Come on kingy, sign an order saying "the Jews must die".
Xerxes. Very well, I shall sign an order saying "the Jews must die".
Haman. Ha Ha. The king's signed the order. The Jews must die! The Jews must die!

Narrator. When Mordecai heard what had happened, he was mortified. He was terrified. He was horrified. He was petrified. Well, he was very upset. He called for his niece.

Mordecai. Esther! Esther!
Esther. Yes, my uncle.
Mordecai. Guess what Haman has done now?
Esther. I don't know. What has Haman done now?
Mordecai. He has tricked the king into signing an order saying "the Jews must die".
Esther. The Jews must die!
Mordecai. Yes, the Jews must die.
Esther. What can we do about it, Uncle Mordecai?
Mordecai. You are our only hope. You must tell the king.
Esther. But, he doesn't even know that I am a Jew.
Mordecai. Well this is the time to tell him. Who knows that you have come into the Kingdom for such a time as this.
Esther. Very well, I shall tell the king.
Mordecai. But, wait.
Esther. Wait?
Mordecai. Yes, wait. We need to make sure that the king is in a good mood. We need to work out a plan.

Narrator. So Mordecai and Esther worked out a plan. That night Queen Esther went to see the king.

Esther. Oh, my great and glorious Lord and Master, my wonderful King.
Xerxes. Yes Esther.
Esther. I am having a party tomorrow night. Would you like to come to my party?
Xerxes. Oh yes Esther, I would love to come to your party.
Esther. And can we invite Haman as our special guest?
Xerxes. Very well. If that is what you want, my dear. Haman shall be our special guest.
Haman. Ha Ha. I am to be the special guest at the Queen's party. I am so important, I am. I am to be the special guest at the queen's party.

Narrator. The party was going really well, but Mordecai wanted to know what was happening. He crept up to the open window.

Mordecai. Esther! Esther!
Esther. Yes, my uncle.
Mordecai. Have you told the king yet?
Esther. No the time is not right. But get away from this window, the king may hear you.
Xerxes. Esther!
Esther. Yes, my great and glorious Lord and Master, my wonderful King.
Xerxes. What was that noise at the window?
Esther. Oh, that was just the wind.
Xerxes. Just the wind!
Esther. Yes, just the wind.

Narrator. But Mordecai couldn't keep away. For a second time he crept up to the window.

Mordecai. Esther! Esther!
Esther. Yes, my uncle.
Mordecai. Have you told the king yet?
Esther. No, the time is not right. But get away from this window, the king may hear you.
Xerxes. Ester!
Esther. Yes, my great and glorious Lord and Master, my wonderful King.
Xerxes. What was that noise at the window?
Esther. Oh, that was just the wind.
Xerxes. I am sure it was more than just the wind.
Esther. No, it was just the wind. But I have something to tell you.
Xerxes. Something to tell me?
Esther. Yes, something to tell you.
Xerxes. What is it you want to tell me?
Esther. I'm a Jew.
Xerxes. You're a Jew?
Haman. The Queen's a Jew!
Esther. Yes, I'm a Jew.
Xerxes. - - - - Well, that doesn't matter my dear. You are still my Queen, and I still love you.
Esther. Oh, thank you my Lord. But, I have something else to tell you.
Xerxes. Something else to tell me?
Esther. Yes, something else to tell you.
Xerxes. What else do you want to tell me?
Esther. Haman has tricked you into signing an order - The Jews must die.
Xerxes. Well, I did sign the order my dear.
Haman. That's right. The king's signed the order. All Jews to die. All Jews have to die.
Esther. But that means that if all Jews have to die, then I have to die.
Xerxes. Oh No! No harm must come upon you, my dear.
Haman. Ahhh. But you signed the order. All Jews to die. All Jews have to die.
Xerxes. I know!. I will sign a new order, saying that nobody can harm the Jews!
Esther. Oh, thank you my Lord. The Jews have been saved.
Haman. But that's not fair. You promised. You signed the order. All Jews have to die.
Esther. What shall we do about Haman?
Xerxes. I don't know. What do you think we should do about Haman?
Esther. I'll ask my uncle. Uncle Mordecai! Uncle Mordecai!
Mordecai. Yes, Esther?
Esther. What shall we do about Haman?
Mordecai. Hang him.
Esther. Hang him.
Xerxes. Hang him?
Haman. Hang me!
Mordecai. Hang him.
Esther. Hang him.
Xerxes. Then Haman shall hang.
Haman. No. Don't hang Haman. Don't hang cuddly old Haman. Hang the Jews. Hang the Jews. Hang the Jews.

Narrator. But Haman was too late, and he was taken out and hanged. (Wrap the scarf around your neck as a noose).

Therefore, because of the obedience and courage of Ester and her uncle, the Jews were saved from extinction. And shortly afterwards the King allowed them to return to their homeland of Israel.

Church Funnies.

A little girl was sitting on her grandfather's lap as he read her a bedtime story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. She was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again. Finally she spoke up, "Grandpa, did God make you?""Yes, sweetheart," he answered, "God made me a long time ago.""Oh," she paused, "Grandpa, did God make me too?""Yes, indeed, honey," he said, "God made you just a little while ago."Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it, isn't he?"

=========================================

A little boy was attending his first wedding. After the service, his cousin asked him, "How many women can a man marry?""Sixteen," the boy responded.His cousin was amazed that he had an answer so quickly: "How do you know that?""Easy," the little boy said. "All you have to do is add it up, like the pastor said: 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer."

=========================================

After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, "Mom, I've decided to become a minister when I grow up.""That's okay with us, but what made you decide that?"Well," said the little boy, "I have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it'll be more fun to stand up and yell, than to sit and listen."

The Bible and the cell phone.
By Sandra Goonetilleke

What if we...?

What if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone,we don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

Newsletter 65.

2008-04-24T03:01:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 65 from Maurice Sweetsur

Contents.

Consequences of Evolutionary teaching.
Creation or Evolution. Does it really matter what we believe?
T.T. 47 - Big bang or big mess?
O.L. 69 - Separation from God.
A heaven funny.

Consequences of Evolutionary teaching.

Three years ago I wrote on the importance of teaching Biblical Creation to our children (Creation or Evolution. Does it really matter what we believe? - Newsletter 32). I will reproduce the article below for the benefit of my newer subscribers. I was recently reminded of the necessity of such teaching by seeing an article in "Creation" magazine concerning yet another school shooting.

As at Columbine, the recent Finnish high school shooting (in which eight people plus the killer died) once again showed that classroom teaching of evolutionary theory can affect not only what a student writes on an exam paper but also the rest of his life - and the lives of those around him.

The mindset of the killer, Pekka-Eric Auvinen, was evident from his comments posted on the internet (in which he admitted being an atheist), including :-

'Life is just a coincidence - - - - result of long processes of evolution - - - - '

'Religious people, your gods are nothing and exist only in your heads.'

'Human life is not sacred. Humans are just a species among other animals - - - - Death is not a tragedy, it happens in nature all the time - - - - Not all human lives are important or worth saving.'

'Today the process of natural selection is totally misguided. - - - - It is time to put NATURAL SELECTION & SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST back on track! - - - - - I, as a natural selector, will eliminate all I see as unfit, disgraces of the human race, and failures of natural selection.'

'I am the law, judge and executioner. There is no higher authority than me.'

Auvinen's comments, and his final actions, show that what a person believes about origins can be devastatingly destructive to his own and others' lives (not to mention the terrible disruption to society - parents, teachers, police, ambulance and hospital staff, grief counsellors, even national leaders - following the shooting).

Even from a purely practical viewpoint, is evolution really the sort of ideology a society would want to teach to its children, now that the consequences are so evident for all to see?

Decline in Biblical teaching.

Alongside the increase in evolutionary teaching there has been a consequent decline in teaching Biblical truths. This decline of sound Biblical teaching to our children appears (at least to me) to be having a detrimental effect even in my own community. There are twelve primary schools in my town, and about ten years ago they all received regular (mostly weekly) Bible teaching from volunteer Christians. (This is quite a common practice in New Zealand). Today, however, the management of four of the schools have stopped 'Bible' teaching completely, two others have restricted it to only junior classes (5 and 6 year olds), five now only have monthly 'Assembly' type lessons (but not all classes attend), and only one out of the twelve still has a weekly lesson. But even that (in common with all the 'monthly' classes) is now an 'Assembly' type rather than a 'one teacher per class' situation in which you could really get to know the children and possibly help them with any problems they may have had.

Therefore many young people have now gone through our local primary schools with no, or very limited, Biblical teaching on such things as values, respect, integrity and self-esteem. Some schools do run their own "Values" programme but, in my opinion, teaching a set of man's rules without reference to the ultimate Lawgiver is likely to be of only limited benefit. The obvious question many children will ask when they reach their teens is "Why is one man's set of rules any better than my own set of rules?"

The end result of taking God out of our schools? Increasing anti-social behaviour by many of our young teens. There is a general lack of respect for other people and their property with such things as petty crime, graffiti, vandalism, bullying and gang membership all on the increase. The situation was considered bad enough for our town Mayor and our local Member of Parliament to recently lead a protest march against crime in the district, with the main aim of getting a greater police presence in our town. That might reduce the crime figures, but it is hardly likely to solve the real problem and change those teens hearts. Only Jesus can do that. But for many of them they have never heard the gospel, and 'Jesus' is merely a swear word!

I will finish by sharing one example which typifies the problem. Two years ago one local school decided that they could manage without 'Bible' teaching. Just a few months later there were headlines in the local paper detailing the tremendous increase in vandalism the school was having. Young children (some probably still attending the school) were constantly going into the school grounds and throwing rocks through the classroom windows. The school's solution? Well, not to invite the 'Bible' teachers back in, but rather - at great expense to the ratepayers - to build a very high fence round the school perimeter to keep the vandals out.

"Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (Galatians 6 v. 7).

Creation or Evolution. Does it really matter what we believe?

Many Christians would answer "No" to that question, stating that all that really matters is whether we have put our trust in Christ and been 'born again'. Consequently they would argue that therefore it doesn't really matter what we teach our children about the origins of the Universe and life. In fact I have a Christian friend who refuses to teach on the subject of Creation, stating that it is too controversial.

I can sympathise with my friend's point of view because our children are being brought up in an 'evolutionised' society where it is usually accepted without question that higher life forms evolved from lower ones and that the earth is billions of years old. Therefore to teach children that God made the entire Universe, including all its different life forms, in the space of just six days only a few thousand years ago, is indeed likely to cause confusion in the minds of some.

I should make it clear that I am not talking about Godless evolution, which basically states that everything in the Universe made itself due to a series of chance random processes over billions of years. No, I am talking about theistic evolution, which is the belief that simple life forms did change and evolve into higher ones, but that God directed the process.

Many Christians do believe in theistic evolution, thinking that they have found a way to both keep their faith and accept the most popular 'scientific' views regarding our origins. They argue that God could have created us through a series of evolutionary processes. True, but the real question here is not how God created us, but rather how God said he created us. And a straightforward reading of the Bible tells us that God created each different 'kind' complete and perfect in the space of six days.

Some Christians regard the Biblical account of Creation and the subsequent fall of man as myths. But if the first part of the Bible never really happened, where then do the myths end and real history begin? If people put their own interpretations on the first part of the Bible, where do they stop? If Genesis cannot be trusted, and God didn't really make things as the Bible describes, how do we know for example that all the miracles the Bible talks about really happened? And what about the resurrection of Jesus? Perhaps his body didn't really rise from the dead? Maybe it was just a 'Spiritual' resurrection? Also, if the Bible is open to different interpretations, how do we know which one is the correct one? No. If we don't accept the entire Bible as God's infallible word, we are likely to end up doubting it all.

I believe it is important to teach our children about Biblical creation (See Teaching tip 20 in Newsletter 32) and the subsequent "fall of man", because the Gospel doesn't make much sense without it. We need to teach the bad news before we can teach the good news. If there was no original sin and rebellion against God, why do we need a Saviour?

I believe that the general decline in moral standards today can largely be attributed to the widespread teaching and acceptance of various forms of evolution. If we are taught that we are just highly evolved animals, it is hardly surprising that many end up acting like them.

If your pet dog gets old and sick, the best thing to do is get him 'put down'. So if your granny gets old and sick, why not put her down as well?

If a kitten is born deformed, the most humane thing to do would probably be to drown it. So what should we do with a human 'animal' that is born deformed?

If we all descended from the trees, some races have been 'human' longer than others, so aren't we justified in enslaving these 'lesser humans', or even eliminating them if they pose a threat to us?

Why do we need to wear clothes? Animals don't wear clothes, so why should we bother? (The answer of course is in Genesis - to cover up our shame. But if we reinterpret Genesis - - - - - ).

Why is homosexuality and same-sex marriage wrong? We have no reason for condemning such behaviour, if we don't believe a literal interpretation of Genesis.

If there is no Absolute Authority, and the Ten Commandments, for example, are only rules made up by men, why shouldn't we all make up our own personal rules, and live by them instead?

Thus, a society that believes in evolution is likely to allow euthanasia, abortion, racism, pornography, same-sex marriage and become increasingly lawless. A society that accepts the entire Bible as the 'Word of God' will know that every person is made in 'the image of God' and will treat them with the respect, caring and dignity that God demands.

For many years the Church has fought against such things as euthanasia, abortion, homosexuality etc. But, I believe they are fighting merely the symptoms of a sin-sick society. What we should be concentrating our efforts on is upholding the inerrancy, accuracy and integrity of the Bible. The Statement of Faith for most Christian denominations includes something like "We believe that the Bible in its entirety is the inspired and infallible Word of God." But so often many Christians compromise God's Word, and from their conversations it is obvious that they don't really believe it to have been given to us by the Creator, Himself. And if the 'world' thinks that we don't really believe parts of the Bible ourselves, why should they listen to us? If we don't believe it ourselves, how can we expect them to? They think we are just sharing our own opinions. And why should our opinions be any more valid than theirs? Some of the humanistic arguments put forward by Christians in trying, for example, to persuade youngsters to abstain from sex before marriage or not to co-habit, don't sound very convincing to me. No, I believe we will only be able to make real progress in our spiritual battles when we come to the place where we can say "That behaviour is wrong - because God's Word says so!" Period.

I recently read a very challenging book "Revolution in World Missions" by K. P. Yohannan, founder of 'Gospel for Asia'. Dr. Yohannan puts the case for "Preaching the Word" rather than sharing mainly a 'Social Gospel'. Concentrating on sharing the love of God by meeting the social needs of people has very limited success. He cites Thailand as an example. Christian missionaries have been active here for over 150 years. They have played a major role in the modernisation of the country, being largely responsible for its widespread literacy, first printing press, first university, first hospital, first doctor and almost every other benefit of education and science. Yet Christians still only make up about 2% of the population. Ultimately, what has been the value of these modern benefits, if most of the people still die without Christ?

First and foremost we are called to 'Preach the Gospel'. Some of you are probably thinking " I'm a teacher, not a Preacher." But the word 'Preach' simply means 'to make known'. And we can all make Christ known to the children in our classes. So I encourage you, when you teach a Bible account, do not simply teach it as a good story that the children can learn something from, but teach it also for what it is - the Word of God 'that cannot be broken', teach it in context, and teach it as real history.

It is easy to criticise the religious leaders of Jesus' day for their opposition to him, but at least they accepted the Scriptures as God's authoritative Word. In his discourses with these leaders, Jesus would often silence them by quoting scripture - "The scriptures say this, or the scriptures say that." The religious leaders couldn't argue with that because they all accepted the Word of God as absolute truth.

I long for the day when Society as a whole will once again accept God's Word as the final Authority for what we believe, and how we act. But it needs to begin with those who already profess a personal relationship with God.

Teaching tip 47 - Big bang or big mess?

People who deny the existence of God have therefore to believe that the Universe created itself out of nothing. (To believe that actually requires a lot more faith than I have got!). So how then do atheists explain how the Universe formed? Most use the idea of a 'big bang', even though none of them were there to see what actually happened.

They say that first of all there was absolutely nothing. But then, they claim, all the energy and matter contained in the billions of stars in the universe was somehow there, separated into a single point, which suddenly 'exploded'. This somehow formed lots of hydrogen gas, which spread out and filled the universe. Then the clouds of hydrogen gas started to pull themselves together by gravity. These clouds got hotter and hotter until they each formed a star. Then these stars exploded and formed all the other elements like carbon and oxygen, that made up all the stuff in the universe, including you and me.

But where did the first energy come from? How could it all have been contained in a single point? What made this point explode? And who ever heard of an explosion making order and design? What happens when fireworks explode? You certainly get a bang, but all you have left is a big mess!

There are lots of sound scientific reasons why the big bang idea is wrong, could not work, and simply did not happen.

It is far easier, in fact, to believe that Almighty God made the sun, the moon, the stars and everything in the universe the way He says He did in the Bible.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands." (Psalm 19.1).

Object Lesson 69 - Separation from God.

I usually use this lesson following teaching on Adam's rejection of God in the Garden of Eden, and the consequent "fall of man".

Choose two volunteers to be Adam and God. Have them face each other with each having an outstretched arm in a "shaking hands" position.

"God created us to be His friends, to be joined to Him in love and unity, as demonstrated by my volunteers being linked together. But in the Garden of Eden, Adam rejected God and turned his back on Him (Volunteers break their link, and 'Adam' turns his back on 'God').

God is holy and cannot look on sin, so He had to turn away from Adam ('God' turns away from 'Adam', leaving a gap between the two volunteers). This is the problem we are all born with - separation from a holy God. (Adam is not here anymore of course but, in a similar way, we have all rebelled against God, and now stand in his place).

God still loved the people of this world and so did something to solve our separation problem. He sent His Son to die on a cross (Choose a third volunteer to represent Jesus and stand between 'Adam' and 'God' with his hands on their shoulders, representing the cross). Jesus is now the bridge between us and God. He is our only way back to God. Because Jesus died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins, this means that God can now turn back to us, offering His forgiveness and love. ('Jesus' sits down, and 'God' turns to face 'Adam' with His hand outstretched).

We now all have a choice to make. We can continue with our back to God, ignoring Him and going our own way, or we can choose to turn back to Him and accept His love and forgiveness ('Adam' turns to face 'God' and reaches out for His hand).

I hope that you all make the right choice.

A Heaven funny.

The couple were 85 years old, and had been married for sixty years. Though they were far from rich, they managed to get by because they watched their pennies. Though not young, they were both in very good health, largely due to the wife's insistence on healthy foods and exercise for the last decade. One day, their good health didn't help when they went on a rare vacation and their plane crashed, sending them off to Heaven. They reached the pearly gates, and St. Peter escorted them inside. He took them to a beautiful mansion, furnished in gold and fine silks, with a fully stocked kitchen and a waterfall in the master bath. A maid could be seen hanging their favourite clothes in the closet. They gasped in astonishment when he said, "Welcome to Heaven. This will be your home now." The old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost. "Why, nothing," Peter replied, "Remember, this is your reward in Heaven." The old man looked out the window and right there he saw a championship golf course, finer and more beautiful than any ever built on Earth. "What are the greens fees?" grumbled the old man. "This is Heaven," St. Peter replied. "You can play for free every day." Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch, with every imaginable cuisine laid out before them, from seafood to steaks to exotic deserts, and free flowing beverages. "Don't even ask," said St. Peter to the man. "This is Heaven, it is all free for you to enjoy." The old man looked around and glanced nervously at his wife. "Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol foods, and the decaffeinated tea?" he asked. "That's the best part," St. Peter replied. "You can eat and drink as much as you like of whatever you like, and you will never get fat or sick. This is Heaven!" The old man pushed, "No gym to work out at?" "Not unless you want to," was the answer. "No testing my sugar or blood pressure or..." "Never again. All you do here is enjoy yourself." The old man glared at his wife and said, "You and your bran muffins. We could have been here ten years ago!

Newsletter 64.

2008-03-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Newsletter 64.

Contents.

T.T. 44 - Using Christian songs to teach Biblical truths (Part2).
T.T. 45 - Dead to the world.
T.T. 46 - The day of rest.
A refiner funny.
From a Mathematical viewpoint.

Teaching tip 44a - Using Christian songs to teach Biblical truths (Part 2).

Last month I shared on how the hymn "There is a green hill far away" could be used to teach fundamental Christian truths. This month, I am sharing on how I use the popular children's chorus "Jesus loves the little children." to teach about God's love for them.

I do this through ventriloquism, and with the aid of my puppet friend George. Children love ventriloquism, and I have discovered that it is much easier than it appears. You don't need to be a professional. Children don't mind if they see your mouth moving a little - they are far more concerned with what your dummy or puppet is actually saying. Thus, if you have good material, you only need to be able to speak in one 'different' voice to be a big hit.

The dialogue I use is expanded from a skit in the booklet "Ventriloquism for little children" by William Andersen.

V. (Ventriloquist). I hope that you are going to behave today, George.

G. (George). I always behave.

V. I am not so sure about that. But I know that you can be good. In fact, I heard that last week you went to Sunday school. Is that true?

G. Yes.

V. Good. Did you enjoy Sunday school?

G. Yes, I did.

V. What did you like best about Sunday school?

G. The songs they sang.

V. What sort of songs did you sing in Sunday school?

G. Sunday school songs, silly!

V. I shouldn't have asked. What was your favourite Sunday school song?

G. Jesus loves the little kids.

V. You mean Jesus loves the little children?

G. That's what I said.

V. Well, that's a good song. Can you sing it?

G. O.K. - - - - - -

V. Well?

G. Well what?

V. Can you sing it for us then?

G. O.K. - - - - - -

V. Well?

G. Well what?

V. Can you sing it for us now?

G. Oh, alright. Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red, brown, yellow , black and green, they're the dumbest kids I've seen.

V. George!. These children aren't dumb.

G. Sure they are. And they're ugly too.

V. These children aren't ugly, they're beautiful.

G. They're ugly.

V. They're beautiful.

G. They're ugly. Just look at them.

V. I am looking at them.

G. Yes, aren't they ugly!

V. No, they're beautiful. Let me explain something to you. God made all these beautiful children.

G. He did!

V. Yes, He did.

G. There is something I don't understand.

V. What don't you understand?

G. If God made all these beautiful children

V. Yes, He did.

G. Who made the ugly ones?

V. Look George, there are no ugly children. Well, not in this class anyway. In fact, when I look at these children - it is like looking at a beautiful garden of flowers.

G. Yes, look at all the weeds!

V. George, you got the song wrong anyway.

G. I did?

V. Yes. It goes "Red, brown, yellow, black and white." Not "Red, brown, yellow, black and green."

G. Can I sing it again?

V. Alright, have another go.

G. Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red, brown, yellow , black and white. Put them together, and watch them fight!"

V. George, these children don't fight!

G. Sure they do.

V. Look, you still got the song wrong. It goes "They are precious in His sight."

G. What does that mean?

V. Precious means that they are all very special to God. It doesn't matter to God what colour their skin is, whether they are red, brown, yellow, black or white, He loves them all the same.

G. What about the green ones?

V. I don't think there are any green children. But if there were, God would love them just as much.

G. How much does He love them?

V. Well, that's what I come along here each week to teach you. The Bible puts it this way. "God so loved the world"

G. That's everyone.

V. That's right. "That He gave His only Son"

G. Who's that?

V. Can someone please tell George who God's only Son is? - - - - - That's right, it's Jesus, George.

G. Oh, now I remember.

V. "That whoever believes in him"

G. That's so simple.

V. So it is. "Shall not die, but have eternal life."

G. Wow. God loves them heaps.

V. He certainly does. You know George, I think you're getting the picture.

G. Can I sing it again?

V. Alright, but please get it right this time.

G. Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red, brown, yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.

V. Well done. Say goodbye to the children, George.

G. Goodbye to the children George!

Teaching Tip 45 - Dead to the world.

A young Christian was once puzzled by the expression "dead to the world", so he asked his pastor what the expression actually meant. In response the pastor told the young man to go to the local cemetery, find a gravestone, and heap praise on the person buried there. He was then to find a second gravestone and heap verbal abuse on that buried person.

The young Christian was obviously surprised at his pastor's instructions, but nevertheless he carried them out. On reporting back the pastor asked "Did you do what I told you?" "Yes" replied the young man. "And what was the response you got to all that praise and verbal abuse?" asked the pastor. "Absolutely nothing at all" replied the young man, still looking very puzzled. "Exactly." said the pastor. "The dead do not respond. Now you know what it is like to be dead to this world!" The young man had learned his lesson.

None of us are completely immune to praise, criticism or abuse, but as Christians that should be our goal. Anyone who is truly "dead to the world" will not be affected by these things, but rather be only concerned with the advancement of God's kingdom.

Teaching Tip 46 - The day of rest.

God created the Universe in six days, and rested on the seventh. This does not mean that God was tired after all His work, and so took a rest, because He does not slumber or sleep (Psalm121.4). The Hebrew word that is usually translated as 'rest' also means 'cease'. So God ceased or rested from His creative work after six days.

God certainly did not need six days to make everything. He could have done it all in an instant on the very first day. So why did He take six days?

The answer is given in Exodus 20. 10 - 11, and is the basis of the Fourth Commandment. God did it this way to show us how we should organise our lives - work for six days, and have a rest or break on the seventh. That is why a week is seven days long, not six or eight. Jesus reminded us that this does not mean that we must never do any work on the seventh day (Sabbath). For example no matter what day of the week it is, it is always a good day to do good to others. Rather, it means that we should make this our general routine, and in so doing we are more likely to stay healthy in both mind and body.

People have sometimes tried other week lengths. For example, in 1793 France decreed three 10-day 'weeks' each month. This didn't work and was abolished by Napoleon in 1806. The former Soviet Union introduced a five-day week in 1929, and then changed it to a six-day week in 1931. Neither of these worked, so the normal seven-day week was restored in 1940.

This is another example of how 'God knows best'. If we follow our Maker's instructions, we won't go far wrong in life.

A Refiner funny.

Malachi 3:3..."He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver..." This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered yes - he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy...when I see my image in it."

From a Mathematical viewpoint.

By Edd Bates.

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE han 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%.

Hw about achieving 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

Is represented as:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24-25-26

Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

AND, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

WHILE HARD WORK AND KNOWLEDGE WILL GET YOU CLOSE, AND ATTITUDE
WILL GET YOU THERE, ...IT'S THE LOVE OF GOD THAT WILL PUT YOU OVER THE TOP!