Newsletter 26
Newsletter 26.
CONTENTS.
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.
"God opened my mind and heart to rank Ministry to Children at the TOP of the Church's priority list."
George Barna.
I am delighted to announce that all my Newsletters will soon be available to view on line. Mycala, one of my subscribers, has kindly offered to host my material on her web site. The link is :-http://user.pa.net/~mycala/msmain.html .The early Newsletters are already on site, and the remainder will be available shortly.
I still intend to continue to send out future Newsletters direct to subscribers, but their availability on site will of course mean that you will not have to be too concerned about printing them out, or saving them on your own computers.
As always, my prayer is that you will find something in the present Newsletter to enhance your ministry to children.
Maurice Sweetsur.
HELPING CHILDREN COPE WITH ACTS OF TERRORISM.
We were all devastated by the horrifying acts of terrorism in Russia recently. We have all seen the awful pictures of mindless death and destruction of many innocent children. That these pictures were real life made them even more unbelievable.
The people watching these dreadful acts of terrorism live and in full colour will have included many children.
What is difficult for us as adults to comprehend, must surely be impossible for children. Many children’s pastors and parents will want to know how we talk these things over with our children. I therefore thought it appropriate to reproduce an article which appeared in a Kidsreach Bulletin ( www.kidsreach.co.nz ) shortly after the "9/11" terrorist attacks on America.
These notes are designed to help parents and children’s pastors talk about what has happened.
1. Children need to be able to talk and ask questions about what happened.
If children have a question and do not feel they can talk about it, the problems become really scary for them. This is true even if there are no real solutions to the problem. Children need to be able to ask questions and talk about what worries them. Not being able to ask a question or talk about an issue makes problems far worse for children. Bringing things out into the open is the very best thing you can do.
So even you say to your child: "I don't know", that is 100 times better than the child feeling they cannot talk about it or ask the question.
2. Reassure your children they are safe.
This week children have seen violent and horrifying things happen. They need you to reassure them that they (and you) are safe." You do this by taking time to talk about what happened and listening to their thoughts and feelings.
Children may have questions, fears right away. You must be aware, however, that often with children, questions and fears will arise several days later.
Listen to them carefully. More than anything, they need to know you are listening to them and they need your reassurance them that they are okay.
3. Children understand more than you realise
Children have more insight than you may realise. Issues that children are thinking about as regards this act of terrorism include:
The terrorists deliberately set out to kill many people, including themselves.
At the moment of impact, many people lost their lives, both in the planes and in the buildings.
Inside the rubble that was a building are still many people alive but cannot get out.
The interviews that have shown children waiting for their parent(s) to return or wives, husbands, mothers, fathers waiting for their loved ones.
The issues of religion and beliefs that people have that cause them to do such things.
What repercussions will follow. Will there be a war?
4. Keep doing regular things.
Children find security in doing regular and planned events. To cancel an outing or pull children out of school can hurt a child’s sense of security – especially for younger children.
Symptoms
Often children appear to perform very well at the time of a crisis, but will inevitably experience some symptoms. These include:
Anxiety,
Fear,
Panic
Anger,
Difficulty sleeping,
Waking throughout the night,
Nightmares or daydreaming.
You can see these symptoms by: change in appetite, reliving images of traumatic events or dwelling on the event. A child may become easily angered or upset or may withdraw or become reluctant to be open or talk. Finally, headaches, stomach aches, indigestion are common by products of this type of stress.
5. Control the television
I have been surprised by the numbers of people that have complained on talk back shows about the effect of the constant coverage of the terrorism on TV is having on their children. My first thought is why don’t these parents’ turn off their television sets?
The advise is simple: "Tune in for updates and stay informed, but do not let the television dominate the atmosphere of your home. It will also help at this time to allow your children to watch their favourite programs or movies."
6. Pray with your children
Talking with your children and listening to them is essential but there is one important thing that we can do as Christians, even when we feel hopeless and the answers seem far away. Praying will provide an answer both for the victims and for your children. Children will feel empowered when they know they can pray.
QUESTIONS CHILDREN ASK
Watching the horror that devastated our nation after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. a small voice at my elbow said, "Is that a movie, or real Mum?"
My six-year-old was eyeing the carnage on television dispassionately. I had to decide how I would live with the damage after my explanation, one that would take the scales from those innocent green eyes.
There was no way around the truth. It was on every station. He has a seven-year-old brother and on the school bus tomorrow the truth would out. So I gathered the two boys and told them in broad strokes about bad people and bad things.
"Where was God?" the older boy asked.
"He was there," I answered.
"Why didn't God stop the bad people," the younger asked with an angry glare.
"We can never know how God thinks and why things go as they do," I said.
"We will go with what we do know. We know we are safe and others are not. There are people who need all our prayers, so we should not lose those right now."
"But it's not fair," said the older boy. "We should send our bombs and planes to go kill all of them."
"What we should do is take our minds away from death and anger and causing pain," I told them. "We are not fliers of planes or makers of bombs. We are keepers of hope."
My younger son nodded, "And that's an important job right?"
"Yes," I told him. "That's an important job."
So we all went back to work; keepers of the nation's lifeline to what is right and good and innocent still. We will find strength in our ability to contribute. We will find hope. And that may be the most curative power we possess.
Adapted from Lisa Suhay (suhays@home.com) - (Copyright © Lisa Suhay)
Teaching tip 14. - What's in a name?
In Bible days a person's name was usually highly significant because it often described what they were, or what they did. Though obviously of less significance, the names of most children today still have meanings. (At least they do for those with a European background. I am not sure if this is still true for those from other cultures).
I find that some children do know what their name means, but the majority do not. There are many 'Babies name' books around that we can go to find name meanings, so I often tell the children in my classes what their names mean and, as you can imagine, they are usually very pleased to find out.
Fortunately, most names have positive or encouraging meanings - e.g. Michael means 'one who is like God' and Linda means 'pretty'. There are, however, a few names with not very positive meanings. In these cases I either leave the name out of my list, or try and find some positive aspect to the name meaning, For example, 'Emma' means 'Grandmother'. If I told a girl that her name meant 'Grandmother', she would probably get upset and think "Oh, my name means that I am like an old woman!" However, if I said "Your name means Grandmother, and when we think of a Grandmother, we think of someone who is kind and caring", that would be far more acceptable to her.
Telling a child the meaning of their name is a wonderful way to increase their self-esteem. For example, you could say :-
"Sarah. Do you know your name means Princess? I think it suits you really well."
"Roger. Your name means a Famous warrior, and I think you will become a famous warrior in God's Kingdom. I am certainly praying that you will."
"Richard. Your name means Strong, and I believe you will be both physically strong and strong in the service of God."
"Gemma. The first time I saw you, I wondered if your name might be Gemma. Gemma means Jewel, and I believe that you will shine like a sparkling jewel in the Kingdom of God."
At the beginning of the year many teachers will either make or get the children to make name badges. One idea would be to include the name meaning on the badge as well.
Many children have 'Biblical' names, and again they may or may not be aware of that. Sometimes, if a child has a Biblical name, I will take a few minutes telling the child (and their class) about their Bible namesake. Other times if I am telling a story about someone with a common name, for example Paul, David, Peter, Mary, etc. I will say "Do we have anyone with that name here today?" Thus, by being able to make a personal connection between the Bible character and themselves or someone they know, they will be more likely to pay attention to the story.
Object Lesson 53. Using your Fingers as a prayer reminder.
Here is a finger prayer exercise that has been around for many years.
Get the children to have their hands facing inwards. Then :-
!st. Finger (Thumb). This one is the nearest to us. We should pray for our families.
2nd. Finger. This one does the pointing. We should pray for those who 'point the way' for us - our Church leaders and Sunday school teachers.
3rd. Finger. This one is the tallest. We should pray for the Leaders in National and local Government.
4th. Finger. The weakest. We should pray for the sick, needy and poor people.
5th. Finger. The smallest. We should pray for the 'little people' - other children we know.
There are some variations on this theme. For example, The first (Thumb) points to us. We should pray for our own needs. The fourth is the 'ring' finger. We should pray for family and friends. The fifth is the smallest. We should pray for the sick and helpless.
Elimination Bible quiz. !. - General.
In order to check how well children are understanding their Bible lessons, I use a number of quizzes to test them out. Probably the most popular method is an elimination quiz. I ask the class questions, and give two alternative answers. If a child gets the wrong answer, they are eliminated. I keep going until there are only a few successful children left. In order to ensure that the children do not copy each other, I get them to close their eyes as they are answering the question. I say "Put your hand up, if you think the answer is 'A', and keep it down if you think it is 'B'.
Here is a good general quiz that I use to see how well the children understand the basics of the Christian faith. You will note that for some questions, both answers could be considered to be correct. In these cases, I ask for the 'best', or 'most correct' answer.
1. What is the Bible? A. A book about God. B. A book written by God Himself.
2. When does God start to love us? A. Before we are born. B. When we are born.
3. What is God really interested in? A. The way we dress. B. Our hearts.
4. How much does God love us? A. Almost as much as He loves Jesus. B. As much as He loves Jesus.
5. What should be our main purpose in life? A. To help others. B. To please God.
6. How should people know that we belong to Jesus? A. By our church attendance. B. By our love for each other.
7. Why did God create us? A. To be His friends. B. To be someone He could rule over.
8. What is our relationship with God when we are born? A. His friends. B. We are in rebellion against Him.
9. How many people have sinned against God? A. Most people. B. Everybody.
10. Why did God send Jesus to earth? A. To teach us about God. B. To die for our sins.
11. To whom does God offer the gift of Eternal Life? A. Everybody. B. Those good enough to receive it.
12. Which people will go to heaven when they die? A. Everybody. B. Those who have put their trust in Jesus.
13. When we accept Jesus into our lives, what do we become? A. Better people. B. Different people altogether.
14. Why do Christians do good deeds? A. Because they will receive a reward from God. B. They can't help themselves. It is now natural for them to do good.
15. What is God's plan for us? A. To make us very good people. B. To make us like Jesus.
Fundamental Beliefs 7. The Work of Jesus Christ. 1. He died for our sins.
In Newsletter 21 we looked at the Person of Jesus Christ (Fundamental Beliefs 2. Is Jesus really God?). In this Newsletter, we will begin to consider His work.
Because God loves us, He took the initiative in making our reconciliation with Him possible. Our love for Him is our response to His love for us that was shown in sending "His Son as an atoning sacrifice" for our sins. That perfect offering of Jesus on our behalf satisfies the righteousness and holiness of God. Because of Jesus, God accepts us and declares us righteous in His site.
There are five important aspects of the death of Jesus :-
a. It was Substitutionary. God's holiness and justice demands that sin has to be punished - and the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6. 23) - But Jesus died in our place! As 1 Peter 3.19 puts it, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God." It should have been you and I being put to death for our sins - but Jesus took our place!
b. It was Sacrificial. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb of God. The old covenant, which God entered into with the Israelites, was based largely on the sacrificial offerings to God of lambs or goats that were without defect. When an Israelite sinned and then repented, he was required by the law to offer a perfect sacrifice to God to appease Him - although in fact the blood of animals could never take away sins (Hebrews 10.4).
Now, however, Jesus is our perfect sacrificial lamb who offered Himself up for us, once and for all, and because He is God, His sacrifice is of infinite value. That one sacrifice is enough to cover every sin that has or ever will be committed. (See Hebrews 10. 10-14).
c. It was Redeeming. To redeem means to buy back. By His death, Jesus bought us back or redeemed us to God - and His blood was the payment (1Peter 1. 18-19).
d. It was Justifying. God has accepted the shed blood of Jesus as an acceptable payment for our sins. He therefore declares us legally righteous in His sight because the full requirements of His law have been met by Jesus. Thus when we put our faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we are justified. We can declare "It is 'just as if I' had never sinned." (See Romans 4.25; 5.1,9).
e. It was Reconciling. Christ's work made it possible for us to be reconciled or re-united with God (2 Corinthians 5.18,19). Because of the cross, we guilty sinners are now 'at one' with God. This has always been God's plan and desire for us, for He created us for this very purpose.
CHRISTIAN ONE LINERS.
Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisers.
It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.
The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes
come close.
When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.
People are funny, they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road,
and theback of the church.
Opportunity may knock once, but temptation leans on the bell.
Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
The phrase that is guaranteed to wake up an audience: "And in conclusion."
If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.
God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why
should you?
Don't let your worries get the best of you. Remember, Moses started out as
a basket case.
Some minds are like concrete, all mixed up and permanently set.
Peace starts with a smile.
A lot of church members who are singing "Standing on the Promises" are
just sitting on the premises.
We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.
Outside of traffic, there is nothing that holds this country back as much
as committees.
Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.
Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over
"religious nuts!"
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
When praying: Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!
The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not
protect you.
We don't change the message, the message changes us.
You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him.
The best mathematical equation: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.
--Author Unknown
http://www.allworship.com
A Job Funny.
TO:
Jesus, Son of Joseph
Woodcrafters Carpenter Shop
Nazareth 25922
FROM:
Jordan Management Consultants
Jerusalem 26544
Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for management positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.
The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them.
As part of our service and for your guidance, we make some general comment, much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation and comes without any additional fee.
It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.
- Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper.
- Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership.
- The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty.
- Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale.
- We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau.
- James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus definitely have radical leanings and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.
One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of great ability and resourcefulness, interacts with people well, has a keen business mind and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.
We wish you every success in your new venture.
Sincerely yours,
Jordan Management Consultants
CONTENTS.
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.
"God opened my mind and heart to rank Ministry to Children at the TOP of the Church's priority list."
George Barna.
I am delighted to announce that all my Newsletters will soon be available to view on line. Mycala, one of my subscribers, has kindly offered to host my material on her web site. The link is :-http://user.pa.net/~mycala/msmain.html .The early Newsletters are already on site, and the remainder will be available shortly.
I still intend to continue to send out future Newsletters direct to subscribers, but their availability on site will of course mean that you will not have to be too concerned about printing them out, or saving them on your own computers.
As always, my prayer is that you will find something in the present Newsletter to enhance your ministry to children.
Maurice Sweetsur.
HELPING CHILDREN COPE WITH ACTS OF TERRORISM.
We were all devastated by the horrifying acts of terrorism in Russia recently. We have all seen the awful pictures of mindless death and destruction of many innocent children. That these pictures were real life made them even more unbelievable.
The people watching these dreadful acts of terrorism live and in full colour will have included many children.
What is difficult for us as adults to comprehend, must surely be impossible for children. Many children’s pastors and parents will want to know how we talk these things over with our children. I therefore thought it appropriate to reproduce an article which appeared in a Kidsreach Bulletin ( www.kidsreach.co.nz ) shortly after the "9/11" terrorist attacks on America.
These notes are designed to help parents and children’s pastors talk about what has happened.
1. Children need to be able to talk and ask questions about what happened.
If children have a question and do not feel they can talk about it, the problems become really scary for them. This is true even if there are no real solutions to the problem. Children need to be able to ask questions and talk about what worries them. Not being able to ask a question or talk about an issue makes problems far worse for children. Bringing things out into the open is the very best thing you can do.
So even you say to your child: "I don't know", that is 100 times better than the child feeling they cannot talk about it or ask the question.
2. Reassure your children they are safe.
This week children have seen violent and horrifying things happen. They need you to reassure them that they (and you) are safe." You do this by taking time to talk about what happened and listening to their thoughts and feelings.
Children may have questions, fears right away. You must be aware, however, that often with children, questions and fears will arise several days later.
Listen to them carefully. More than anything, they need to know you are listening to them and they need your reassurance them that they are okay.
3. Children understand more than you realise
Children have more insight than you may realise. Issues that children are thinking about as regards this act of terrorism include:
The terrorists deliberately set out to kill many people, including themselves.
At the moment of impact, many people lost their lives, both in the planes and in the buildings.
Inside the rubble that was a building are still many people alive but cannot get out.
The interviews that have shown children waiting for their parent(s) to return or wives, husbands, mothers, fathers waiting for their loved ones.
The issues of religion and beliefs that people have that cause them to do such things.
What repercussions will follow. Will there be a war?
4. Keep doing regular things.
Children find security in doing regular and planned events. To cancel an outing or pull children out of school can hurt a child’s sense of security – especially for younger children.
Symptoms
Often children appear to perform very well at the time of a crisis, but will inevitably experience some symptoms. These include:
Anxiety,
Fear,
Panic
Anger,
Difficulty sleeping,
Waking throughout the night,
Nightmares or daydreaming.
You can see these symptoms by: change in appetite, reliving images of traumatic events or dwelling on the event. A child may become easily angered or upset or may withdraw or become reluctant to be open or talk. Finally, headaches, stomach aches, indigestion are common by products of this type of stress.
5. Control the television
I have been surprised by the numbers of people that have complained on talk back shows about the effect of the constant coverage of the terrorism on TV is having on their children. My first thought is why don’t these parents’ turn off their television sets?
The advise is simple: "Tune in for updates and stay informed, but do not let the television dominate the atmosphere of your home. It will also help at this time to allow your children to watch their favourite programs or movies."
6. Pray with your children
Talking with your children and listening to them is essential but there is one important thing that we can do as Christians, even when we feel hopeless and the answers seem far away. Praying will provide an answer both for the victims and for your children. Children will feel empowered when they know they can pray.
QUESTIONS CHILDREN ASK
Watching the horror that devastated our nation after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. a small voice at my elbow said, "Is that a movie, or real Mum?"
My six-year-old was eyeing the carnage on television dispassionately. I had to decide how I would live with the damage after my explanation, one that would take the scales from those innocent green eyes.
There was no way around the truth. It was on every station. He has a seven-year-old brother and on the school bus tomorrow the truth would out. So I gathered the two boys and told them in broad strokes about bad people and bad things.
"Where was God?" the older boy asked.
"He was there," I answered.
"Why didn't God stop the bad people," the younger asked with an angry glare.
"We can never know how God thinks and why things go as they do," I said.
"We will go with what we do know. We know we are safe and others are not. There are people who need all our prayers, so we should not lose those right now."
"But it's not fair," said the older boy. "We should send our bombs and planes to go kill all of them."
"What we should do is take our minds away from death and anger and causing pain," I told them. "We are not fliers of planes or makers of bombs. We are keepers of hope."
My younger son nodded, "And that's an important job right?"
"Yes," I told him. "That's an important job."
So we all went back to work; keepers of the nation's lifeline to what is right and good and innocent still. We will find strength in our ability to contribute. We will find hope. And that may be the most curative power we possess.
Adapted from Lisa Suhay (suhays@home.com) - (Copyright © Lisa Suhay)
Teaching tip 14. - What's in a name?
In Bible days a person's name was usually highly significant because it often described what they were, or what they did. Though obviously of less significance, the names of most children today still have meanings. (At least they do for those with a European background. I am not sure if this is still true for those from other cultures).
I find that some children do know what their name means, but the majority do not. There are many 'Babies name' books around that we can go to find name meanings, so I often tell the children in my classes what their names mean and, as you can imagine, they are usually very pleased to find out.
Fortunately, most names have positive or encouraging meanings - e.g. Michael means 'one who is like God' and Linda means 'pretty'. There are, however, a few names with not very positive meanings. In these cases I either leave the name out of my list, or try and find some positive aspect to the name meaning, For example, 'Emma' means 'Grandmother'. If I told a girl that her name meant 'Grandmother', she would probably get upset and think "Oh, my name means that I am like an old woman!" However, if I said "Your name means Grandmother, and when we think of a Grandmother, we think of someone who is kind and caring", that would be far more acceptable to her.
Telling a child the meaning of their name is a wonderful way to increase their self-esteem. For example, you could say :-
"Sarah. Do you know your name means Princess? I think it suits you really well."
"Roger. Your name means a Famous warrior, and I think you will become a famous warrior in God's Kingdom. I am certainly praying that you will."
"Richard. Your name means Strong, and I believe you will be both physically strong and strong in the service of God."
"Gemma. The first time I saw you, I wondered if your name might be Gemma. Gemma means Jewel, and I believe that you will shine like a sparkling jewel in the Kingdom of God."
At the beginning of the year many teachers will either make or get the children to make name badges. One idea would be to include the name meaning on the badge as well.
Many children have 'Biblical' names, and again they may or may not be aware of that. Sometimes, if a child has a Biblical name, I will take a few minutes telling the child (and their class) about their Bible namesake. Other times if I am telling a story about someone with a common name, for example Paul, David, Peter, Mary, etc. I will say "Do we have anyone with that name here today?" Thus, by being able to make a personal connection between the Bible character and themselves or someone they know, they will be more likely to pay attention to the story.
Object Lesson 53. Using your Fingers as a prayer reminder.
Here is a finger prayer exercise that has been around for many years.
Get the children to have their hands facing inwards. Then :-
!st. Finger (Thumb). This one is the nearest to us. We should pray for our families.
2nd. Finger. This one does the pointing. We should pray for those who 'point the way' for us - our Church leaders and Sunday school teachers.
3rd. Finger. This one is the tallest. We should pray for the Leaders in National and local Government.
4th. Finger. The weakest. We should pray for the sick, needy and poor people.
5th. Finger. The smallest. We should pray for the 'little people' - other children we know.
There are some variations on this theme. For example, The first (Thumb) points to us. We should pray for our own needs. The fourth is the 'ring' finger. We should pray for family and friends. The fifth is the smallest. We should pray for the sick and helpless.
Elimination Bible quiz. !. - General.
In order to check how well children are understanding their Bible lessons, I use a number of quizzes to test them out. Probably the most popular method is an elimination quiz. I ask the class questions, and give two alternative answers. If a child gets the wrong answer, they are eliminated. I keep going until there are only a few successful children left. In order to ensure that the children do not copy each other, I get them to close their eyes as they are answering the question. I say "Put your hand up, if you think the answer is 'A', and keep it down if you think it is 'B'.
Here is a good general quiz that I use to see how well the children understand the basics of the Christian faith. You will note that for some questions, both answers could be considered to be correct. In these cases, I ask for the 'best', or 'most correct' answer.
1. What is the Bible? A. A book about God. B. A book written by God Himself.
2. When does God start to love us? A. Before we are born. B. When we are born.
3. What is God really interested in? A. The way we dress. B. Our hearts.
4. How much does God love us? A. Almost as much as He loves Jesus. B. As much as He loves Jesus.
5. What should be our main purpose in life? A. To help others. B. To please God.
6. How should people know that we belong to Jesus? A. By our church attendance. B. By our love for each other.
7. Why did God create us? A. To be His friends. B. To be someone He could rule over.
8. What is our relationship with God when we are born? A. His friends. B. We are in rebellion against Him.
9. How many people have sinned against God? A. Most people. B. Everybody.
10. Why did God send Jesus to earth? A. To teach us about God. B. To die for our sins.
11. To whom does God offer the gift of Eternal Life? A. Everybody. B. Those good enough to receive it.
12. Which people will go to heaven when they die? A. Everybody. B. Those who have put their trust in Jesus.
13. When we accept Jesus into our lives, what do we become? A. Better people. B. Different people altogether.
14. Why do Christians do good deeds? A. Because they will receive a reward from God. B. They can't help themselves. It is now natural for them to do good.
15. What is God's plan for us? A. To make us very good people. B. To make us like Jesus.
Fundamental Beliefs 7. The Work of Jesus Christ. 1. He died for our sins.
In Newsletter 21 we looked at the Person of Jesus Christ (Fundamental Beliefs 2. Is Jesus really God?). In this Newsletter, we will begin to consider His work.
Because God loves us, He took the initiative in making our reconciliation with Him possible. Our love for Him is our response to His love for us that was shown in sending "His Son as an atoning sacrifice" for our sins. That perfect offering of Jesus on our behalf satisfies the righteousness and holiness of God. Because of Jesus, God accepts us and declares us righteous in His site.
There are five important aspects of the death of Jesus :-
a. It was Substitutionary. God's holiness and justice demands that sin has to be punished - and the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6. 23) - But Jesus died in our place! As 1 Peter 3.19 puts it, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God." It should have been you and I being put to death for our sins - but Jesus took our place!
b. It was Sacrificial. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb of God. The old covenant, which God entered into with the Israelites, was based largely on the sacrificial offerings to God of lambs or goats that were without defect. When an Israelite sinned and then repented, he was required by the law to offer a perfect sacrifice to God to appease Him - although in fact the blood of animals could never take away sins (Hebrews 10.4).
Now, however, Jesus is our perfect sacrificial lamb who offered Himself up for us, once and for all, and because He is God, His sacrifice is of infinite value. That one sacrifice is enough to cover every sin that has or ever will be committed. (See Hebrews 10. 10-14).
c. It was Redeeming. To redeem means to buy back. By His death, Jesus bought us back or redeemed us to God - and His blood was the payment (1Peter 1. 18-19).
d. It was Justifying. God has accepted the shed blood of Jesus as an acceptable payment for our sins. He therefore declares us legally righteous in His sight because the full requirements of His law have been met by Jesus. Thus when we put our faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we are justified. We can declare "It is 'just as if I' had never sinned." (See Romans 4.25; 5.1,9).
e. It was Reconciling. Christ's work made it possible for us to be reconciled or re-united with God (2 Corinthians 5.18,19). Because of the cross, we guilty sinners are now 'at one' with God. This has always been God's plan and desire for us, for He created us for this very purpose.
CHRISTIAN ONE LINERS.
Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisers.
It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.
The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes
come close.
When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.
People are funny, they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road,
and theback of the church.
Opportunity may knock once, but temptation leans on the bell.
Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
The phrase that is guaranteed to wake up an audience: "And in conclusion."
If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.
God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why
should you?
Don't let your worries get the best of you. Remember, Moses started out as
a basket case.
Some minds are like concrete, all mixed up and permanently set.
Peace starts with a smile.
A lot of church members who are singing "Standing on the Promises" are
just sitting on the premises.
We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.
Outside of traffic, there is nothing that holds this country back as much
as committees.
Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.
Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over
"religious nuts!"
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
When praying: Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!
The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not
protect you.
We don't change the message, the message changes us.
You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him.
The best mathematical equation: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.
--Author Unknown
http://www.allworship.com
A Job Funny.
TO:
Jesus, Son of Joseph
Woodcrafters Carpenter Shop
Nazareth 25922
FROM:
Jordan Management Consultants
Jerusalem 26544
Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for management positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.
The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them.
As part of our service and for your guidance, we make some general comment, much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation and comes without any additional fee.
It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.
- Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper.
- Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership.
- The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty.
- Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale.
- We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau.
- James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus definitely have radical leanings and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.
One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of great ability and resourcefulness, interacts with people well, has a keen business mind and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.
We wish you every success in your new venture.
Sincerely yours,
Jordan Management Consultants
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 2:09 AM
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