Newsletters 11 - 15.
Newsletter 11.
Contents.
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.
I hope you find my latest two lessons beneficial to your ministry. I am also attaching my third puppet play "How do you get to heaven?" I was motivated to write this by the fact that many adults and children (Even those who have had Bible teaching - see my survey in Newsletter No. 10) still associate becoming a Christian and going to heaven with being good and going to church.
Once an Evangelist came to take a series of meetings at a small church. On the first night, two adults and five children responded to his alter call and received Christ. The next morning, someone asked the church Pastor and the Evangelist how the first meeting had gone. "Great," replied the Evangelist. "There were five conversions." Then he added, somewhat as an afterthought. "Oh yes, and two halves." "Don't you mean two conversions and five halves?" interrupted the Pastor. "Two adults and five children responded." "No" insisted the Evangelist. "It was five conversions and two halves. The adults have already spent half their lives, but the five children have all of their lives left to serve Christ!"
May the Lord continue to bless you as you minister to precious children. You will not know the full effects of your ministry this side of eternity.
Yours in Christ,
Maurice Sweetsur.
27. Needle through a balloon.
Punctuating an inflated balloon with a pin or needle, without it bursting, will always fascinate children. There are two ways you can achieve this :- 1. Place a small piece if clear sticking tape on the inflated balloon. You can then pierce this without the balloon bursting. 2. Pierce the balloon where the rubber is thickest i.e. near the hole and at the opposite end. In fact, by using these two locations, you should be able to pass your needle right through the balloon. Hints. Don't inflate the balloon too much. Use a sharp needle. Smear a little grease on the end of your needle.
I have used this illustration in two ways. You may be able to think of others.
1. Miracles. State that normally when you prick a balloon with a needle it will burst - Give an illustration. (If appropriate you could tell the children why it bursts, by talking about air pressure, rapid flow of air to the hole etc.). State that God can overcome or suspend the natural physical laws of the Universe. He can do miracles. Proceed with your demonstration.
2. Sharing your testimony. Inflate about four or five balloons, and write on them things which you (or others) once thought would give lasting satisfaction e.g. Sport, Job, Money, etc. On the last one write "Jesus." Keep the balloons (or at least the words) out of sight until required. Produce the balloons one at a time, and talk about how you once thought that Sport etc. would really satisfy you for life, but that in the end you found it wasn't really what you were searching for. It let you down. Burst the balloon with your pin or needle. Proceed until you are left with the "Jesus" balloon. Explain that this is what you have always been searching for, and that you have found that He will never let you down. Prick the balloon in the appropriate place to demonstrate!
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!
How do you get to heaven ? – Puppet play.
You will need four “people” puppets, one “animal” puppet (I use a sheep), a piece of plain paper and a marker.
SCRIPT.
HOST. Hello, and welcome to my show. Let me introduce you to my guests. Firstly we have Miss Know it all.
MISS KNOW IT ALL. Hi.
HOST. Next, we have Mr. Remember well.
MR. REMEMBER WELL. How are you all ?
HOST. Then we have Mr. Don’t know a lot.
MR. DON’T KNOW A LOT. Hello everybody.
HOST. And finally we have Shaun the sheep.
SHAUN. Baa. Baa.
HOST. Today’s question is “How do you get to heaven?” Actually, that’s rather an easy one. Everyone knows that if you are good, you go to heaven, but if you are bad, you don’t. So, if you do more good things than bad ones you will go to heaven.
MISS KNOW IT ALL. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. That’s not right. If we could all get to heaven by being good, there was no need for Jesus to come and die for us.
HOST. Oh ! You have a point there. So how can we get to heaven then Miss Know it all ?
MISS KNOW IT ALL. By believing. If you believe in God, you will go to heaven.
MR. REMEMBER WELL. What nonsense ! You are both wrong. Even the devil believes in God, but he’s not going to get to heaven.
HOST. Give us your answer then Mr. Remember well.
MR. REMEMBER WELL. This is a question I have studied for fifty years, but I have finally found the answer. To get to heaven you need to be - - - - - - DEAD !
HOST. Amazing. And it only took you fifty years to find that out!
MR. REMEMBER WELL. Wait, there’s more. As well as being dead, the Bible teaches that we need to be a Christian.
HOST. Now we are getting close. But how can a person become a Christian, Mr. Remember well ?
MR. REMEMBER WELL. I have no idea. It may take me another fifty years to find that out.
HOST. I am afraid that we haven’t got that long. Mr. Don’t know a lot, can you help us out ?
MR. DON’T KNOW A LOT. I certainly can. You become a Christian by going to church. It’s as simple as that.
HOST. But that can’t be right. If I went to live in my garage, that wouldn’t turn me into a Motor car would it ? So going to church wouldn’t turn me into a Christian. No, there must be another answer. Shaun, we are getting really desperate here. You are our last hope. Do you know how we can get to heaven ?
SHAUN. I can do better than that. I can give you the key that will unlock the gates of heaven.
HOST. You have a key to the gates of heaven ?
SHAUN. Yes. It’s a combination lock, so can someone write down the numbers for us ?
SELF. I can do that Shaun.
SHAUN. The numbers are 511531.
SELF. (Write down the numbers, big enough for everyone to see, but as you do, bend the tops of the first and third “1” slightly to the right. Bend the top of the second “1” slightly to the left).
HOST. You mean that’s the key that will get us into heaven ?
SHAUN. It sure is. Just turn the paper upside down, and have a look.
SELF. (Turning the paper upside down, to reveal the word “JESUS”). Shaun has given us the right answer. Jesus is the key to heaven. He said “ I am the way. Nobody comes to the Father, except by me."
A Points Funny.
A man dies and goes to Heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates.
St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points!"
"Three points?" he says, slightly concerned. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
"Terrific!" says St. Peter. "That's certainly worth a point."
"One point!?!" he moans, now really getting worried. "Well, I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says.
"Two points!" the man cries. "At this rate the only way I get into Heaven is by the grace of God!"
St. Peter nods and says, "Bingo! 100 points! Come on in my son!"
[forwarded by Gabe Combs via. Mikey's funnies]
Ice Breaker.
Write out the words below on slips of paper. Choose children to come out and read the words aloud. The idea is to get the other children to guess what is being said. Get each volunteer to read the words slowly at first, but then faster and faster to make it easier for the others to guess. You will probably have to give clues to the younger groups to help.
1. SAND TACKLE LAWS. (Clue: A fictional character)
2. AISLE OH VIEW. (Clue: A phrase)
3. BUCK SPUN HE (Clue: A fictional character)
4.THESE HOUND DOVE MOO SICK (Clue: A film)
5. TIGHT AN HICK (Clue: A thing)
6. THUMB ILL KEY WAKE OWL LICKS HE (Clue: A place)
Answers. (Just in case someone hasn't worked them out). 1. Santa Claus. 2. I love you. 3. Bugs Bunny. 4. The Sound of music. 5. Titanic.6. The Milky Way Galaxy.
Use a similar procedure to let children try to guess what the following Japanese Phrases mean.
Wa Shing Ka (Cleaning an automobile)
Na Pah King (This is a tow-away zone)
Ai Bang Mai Ni (I bumped into a table)
Tai Ni Po Ni (Small horse)
Contents.
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.
I hope you find my latest two lessons beneficial to your ministry. I am also attaching my third puppet play "How do you get to heaven?" I was motivated to write this by the fact that many adults and children (Even those who have had Bible teaching - see my survey in Newsletter No. 10) still associate becoming a Christian and going to heaven with being good and going to church.
Once an Evangelist came to take a series of meetings at a small church. On the first night, two adults and five children responded to his alter call and received Christ. The next morning, someone asked the church Pastor and the Evangelist how the first meeting had gone. "Great," replied the Evangelist. "There were five conversions." Then he added, somewhat as an afterthought. "Oh yes, and two halves." "Don't you mean two conversions and five halves?" interrupted the Pastor. "Two adults and five children responded." "No" insisted the Evangelist. "It was five conversions and two halves. The adults have already spent half their lives, but the five children have all of their lives left to serve Christ!"
May the Lord continue to bless you as you minister to precious children. You will not know the full effects of your ministry this side of eternity.
Yours in Christ,
Maurice Sweetsur.
27. Needle through a balloon.
Punctuating an inflated balloon with a pin or needle, without it bursting, will always fascinate children. There are two ways you can achieve this :- 1. Place a small piece if clear sticking tape on the inflated balloon. You can then pierce this without the balloon bursting. 2. Pierce the balloon where the rubber is thickest i.e. near the hole and at the opposite end. In fact, by using these two locations, you should be able to pass your needle right through the balloon. Hints. Don't inflate the balloon too much. Use a sharp needle. Smear a little grease on the end of your needle.
I have used this illustration in two ways. You may be able to think of others.
1. Miracles. State that normally when you prick a balloon with a needle it will burst - Give an illustration. (If appropriate you could tell the children why it bursts, by talking about air pressure, rapid flow of air to the hole etc.). State that God can overcome or suspend the natural physical laws of the Universe. He can do miracles. Proceed with your demonstration.
2. Sharing your testimony. Inflate about four or five balloons, and write on them things which you (or others) once thought would give lasting satisfaction e.g. Sport, Job, Money, etc. On the last one write "Jesus." Keep the balloons (or at least the words) out of sight until required. Produce the balloons one at a time, and talk about how you once thought that Sport etc. would really satisfy you for life, but that in the end you found it wasn't really what you were searching for. It let you down. Burst the balloon with your pin or needle. Proceed until you are left with the "Jesus" balloon. Explain that this is what you have always been searching for, and that you have found that He will never let you down. Prick the balloon in the appropriate place to demonstrate!
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!
How do you get to heaven ? – Puppet play.
You will need four “people” puppets, one “animal” puppet (I use a sheep), a piece of plain paper and a marker.
SCRIPT.
HOST. Hello, and welcome to my show. Let me introduce you to my guests. Firstly we have Miss Know it all.
MISS KNOW IT ALL. Hi.
HOST. Next, we have Mr. Remember well.
MR. REMEMBER WELL. How are you all ?
HOST. Then we have Mr. Don’t know a lot.
MR. DON’T KNOW A LOT. Hello everybody.
HOST. And finally we have Shaun the sheep.
SHAUN. Baa. Baa.
HOST. Today’s question is “How do you get to heaven?” Actually, that’s rather an easy one. Everyone knows that if you are good, you go to heaven, but if you are bad, you don’t. So, if you do more good things than bad ones you will go to heaven.
MISS KNOW IT ALL. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. That’s not right. If we could all get to heaven by being good, there was no need for Jesus to come and die for us.
HOST. Oh ! You have a point there. So how can we get to heaven then Miss Know it all ?
MISS KNOW IT ALL. By believing. If you believe in God, you will go to heaven.
MR. REMEMBER WELL. What nonsense ! You are both wrong. Even the devil believes in God, but he’s not going to get to heaven.
HOST. Give us your answer then Mr. Remember well.
MR. REMEMBER WELL. This is a question I have studied for fifty years, but I have finally found the answer. To get to heaven you need to be - - - - - - DEAD !
HOST. Amazing. And it only took you fifty years to find that out!
MR. REMEMBER WELL. Wait, there’s more. As well as being dead, the Bible teaches that we need to be a Christian.
HOST. Now we are getting close. But how can a person become a Christian, Mr. Remember well ?
MR. REMEMBER WELL. I have no idea. It may take me another fifty years to find that out.
HOST. I am afraid that we haven’t got that long. Mr. Don’t know a lot, can you help us out ?
MR. DON’T KNOW A LOT. I certainly can. You become a Christian by going to church. It’s as simple as that.
HOST. But that can’t be right. If I went to live in my garage, that wouldn’t turn me into a Motor car would it ? So going to church wouldn’t turn me into a Christian. No, there must be another answer. Shaun, we are getting really desperate here. You are our last hope. Do you know how we can get to heaven ?
SHAUN. I can do better than that. I can give you the key that will unlock the gates of heaven.
HOST. You have a key to the gates of heaven ?
SHAUN. Yes. It’s a combination lock, so can someone write down the numbers for us ?
SELF. I can do that Shaun.
SHAUN. The numbers are 511531.
SELF. (Write down the numbers, big enough for everyone to see, but as you do, bend the tops of the first and third “1” slightly to the right. Bend the top of the second “1” slightly to the left).
HOST. You mean that’s the key that will get us into heaven ?
SHAUN. It sure is. Just turn the paper upside down, and have a look.
SELF. (Turning the paper upside down, to reveal the word “JESUS”). Shaun has given us the right answer. Jesus is the key to heaven. He said “ I am the way. Nobody comes to the Father, except by me."
A Points Funny.
A man dies and goes to Heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates.
St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points!"
"Three points?" he says, slightly concerned. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
"Terrific!" says St. Peter. "That's certainly worth a point."
"One point!?!" he moans, now really getting worried. "Well, I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says.
"Two points!" the man cries. "At this rate the only way I get into Heaven is by the grace of God!"
St. Peter nods and says, "Bingo! 100 points! Come on in my son!"
[forwarded by Gabe Combs via. Mikey's funnies]
Ice Breaker.
Write out the words below on slips of paper. Choose children to come out and read the words aloud. The idea is to get the other children to guess what is being said. Get each volunteer to read the words slowly at first, but then faster and faster to make it easier for the others to guess. You will probably have to give clues to the younger groups to help.
1. SAND TACKLE LAWS. (Clue: A fictional character)
2. AISLE OH VIEW. (Clue: A phrase)
3. BUCK SPUN HE (Clue: A fictional character)
4.THESE HOUND DOVE MOO SICK (Clue: A film)
5. TIGHT AN HICK (Clue: A thing)
6. THUMB ILL KEY WAKE OWL LICKS HE (Clue: A place)
Answers. (Just in case someone hasn't worked them out). 1. Santa Claus. 2. I love you. 3. Bugs Bunny. 4. The Sound of music. 5. Titanic.6. The Milky Way Galaxy.
Use a similar procedure to let children try to guess what the following Japanese Phrases mean.
Wa Shing Ka (Cleaning an automobile)
Na Pah King (This is a tow-away zone)
Ai Bang Mai Ni (I bumped into a table)
Tai Ni Po Ni (Small horse)
Newsletter 12.
Contents.
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 . . . . . . . . .
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.
30. The Trinity.
Here is a two-part illusion to illustrate your teaching on the Trinity.
Produce three ropes of equal length (about 80 cm. is ideal). State that these represent the three Persons of the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. "The first thing to notice is that the ropes are of equal length, reminding us that the three Persons are all equal."
State that you are now going to bring the bottoms of the ropes up to the top, and tie them into three loops. Holding the ropes near their tops together in one hand, one at a time bring the bottom of each rope up to the top, and tie it to the top of a different rope. (To ensure that I don't make a mistake at this point, I mark beforehand a spot with a pen on the top and bottom of the middle rope. I then tie the bottom of the outside rope with the top of the first, followed in turn by the other two ropes, ensuring that I don't tie the "spot" ends together).
"It appears that I now have three loops, but that is not really true." Release the ropes to show that you now have one large loop tied in three places - reminding your class that there is one God comprising three Persons.
Now for the "fun" part of your illusion. Put your rope away in your bag, but immediately bring out a similar looking rope. This second rope (which your class should think is still your first three-part loop) is actually one long piece of rope - of total length just less than that of your three original ropes combined (i.e. about 220 cm) - tied to form a loop, and with two small lengths of rope tied around two small loops in your longer rope at the appropriate places to give the appearance of knots.
Tell the class that they are probably thinking that this loop is three pieces of rope tied together, but that actually it is now just one long piece of rope. Untie the (genuine) knot to demonstrate. The class will not look two impressed, because the other two "knots" are still there. State that these are only two small lengths of rope, and that you can easily remove them. Pull the two ends of your rope (or get two volunteers to do it), and the small ropes will "pop" off, leaving only one long piece of rope!
You may ask "won't the children realise that you have swapped the ropes?" Well, in my experience, they never have.
Classic Comments
(All from Children)
'Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.'
'A layman is someone who lays in bed on Sunday mornings.'
'When a woman has many husbands it is called Pollyanna.'
'When a man is married to one woman it is called monotony.'
'Jacob had a brother called See-saw.'
'Insects is burned in some churches.'
'If God rested on the seventh day, why do we have to go to Sunday school?'
'The Agnus Dei is a woman composer of music.'
'An epistle is the wife of an apostle.'
'The fast days are the days when you have to eat in a hurry.'
'Adultery is the sin of saying you are older than you really are.'
'The people of Lystra did not like Paul's message, so he got stoned.'
'I wish my dad was a Pastor so he only had to work one day a week.'
And finally, here is one I heard from an adult. As two fairly young in the faith Christians, my friend Allan and I went out into the streets of Prestwick, Scotland to do some witnessing. We approached the first man we saw, and Allan boldly proclaimed to him "Jesus can give you a new life - and solve all your problems." Without a moments hesitation, the man replied "If Jesus gave me a new wife - that would solve all my problems!"
I am a Christian because . . . . . . . .
Many people in the Church assume that our mission is to invite or challenge people, both young and old, to become Christians. However in my experience of over ten years of "door to door" visitations, I found that most people already claim to be Christians. Here are some of the reasons given as to why people believe they are already Christians.
1. I live a good life.
2. I have never done anything really bad.
3. I was born a Christian.
4. I became a Christian when I was baptised as a baby.
5. Going to church makes me a Christian.
6. I believe in God.
7. I believe Jesus really existed.
8. I was brought up as a Christian
9. I have never sinned.
10. I pray to God.
11. I do the best I can.
12. I became a Christian by taking communion.
13. Everybody is a Christian.
14. I became a Christian when I was inducted into the Free Masons.
15. I became a Christian by being confirmed.
16. Because God answers my prayers.
17. I keep the 10 Commandments.
18. I have got my own Bible.
19. I have read the Bible right through.
20. I don't smoke or get drunk.
Many people don't realise their need of Christ. Our first task should therefore be to make them aware of that need, and then invite them to accept Him.
Contents.
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 . . . . . . . . .
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.
30. The Trinity.
Here is a two-part illusion to illustrate your teaching on the Trinity.
Produce three ropes of equal length (about 80 cm. is ideal). State that these represent the three Persons of the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. "The first thing to notice is that the ropes are of equal length, reminding us that the three Persons are all equal."
State that you are now going to bring the bottoms of the ropes up to the top, and tie them into three loops. Holding the ropes near their tops together in one hand, one at a time bring the bottom of each rope up to the top, and tie it to the top of a different rope. (To ensure that I don't make a mistake at this point, I mark beforehand a spot with a pen on the top and bottom of the middle rope. I then tie the bottom of the outside rope with the top of the first, followed in turn by the other two ropes, ensuring that I don't tie the "spot" ends together).
"It appears that I now have three loops, but that is not really true." Release the ropes to show that you now have one large loop tied in three places - reminding your class that there is one God comprising three Persons.
Now for the "fun" part of your illusion. Put your rope away in your bag, but immediately bring out a similar looking rope. This second rope (which your class should think is still your first three-part loop) is actually one long piece of rope - of total length just less than that of your three original ropes combined (i.e. about 220 cm) - tied to form a loop, and with two small lengths of rope tied around two small loops in your longer rope at the appropriate places to give the appearance of knots.
Tell the class that they are probably thinking that this loop is three pieces of rope tied together, but that actually it is now just one long piece of rope. Untie the (genuine) knot to demonstrate. The class will not look two impressed, because the other two "knots" are still there. State that these are only two small lengths of rope, and that you can easily remove them. Pull the two ends of your rope (or get two volunteers to do it), and the small ropes will "pop" off, leaving only one long piece of rope!
You may ask "won't the children realise that you have swapped the ropes?" Well, in my experience, they never have.
Classic Comments
(All from Children)
'Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.'
'A layman is someone who lays in bed on Sunday mornings.'
'When a woman has many husbands it is called Pollyanna.'
'When a man is married to one woman it is called monotony.'
'Jacob had a brother called See-saw.'
'Insects is burned in some churches.'
'If God rested on the seventh day, why do we have to go to Sunday school?'
'The Agnus Dei is a woman composer of music.'
'An epistle is the wife of an apostle.'
'The fast days are the days when you have to eat in a hurry.'
'Adultery is the sin of saying you are older than you really are.'
'The people of Lystra did not like Paul's message, so he got stoned.'
'I wish my dad was a Pastor so he only had to work one day a week.'
And finally, here is one I heard from an adult. As two fairly young in the faith Christians, my friend Allan and I went out into the streets of Prestwick, Scotland to do some witnessing. We approached the first man we saw, and Allan boldly proclaimed to him "Jesus can give you a new life - and solve all your problems." Without a moments hesitation, the man replied "If Jesus gave me a new wife - that would solve all my problems!"
I am a Christian because . . . . . . . .
Many people in the Church assume that our mission is to invite or challenge people, both young and old, to become Christians. However in my experience of over ten years of "door to door" visitations, I found that most people already claim to be Christians. Here are some of the reasons given as to why people believe they are already Christians.
1. I live a good life.
2. I have never done anything really bad.
3. I was born a Christian.
4. I became a Christian when I was baptised as a baby.
5. Going to church makes me a Christian.
6. I believe in God.
7. I believe Jesus really existed.
8. I was brought up as a Christian
9. I have never sinned.
10. I pray to God.
11. I do the best I can.
12. I became a Christian by taking communion.
13. Everybody is a Christian.
14. I became a Christian when I was inducted into the Free Masons.
15. I became a Christian by being confirmed.
16. Because God answers my prayers.
17. I keep the 10 Commandments.
18. I have got my own Bible.
19. I have read the Bible right through.
20. I don't smoke or get drunk.
Many people don't realise their need of Christ. Our first task should therefore be to make them aware of that need, and then invite them to accept Him.
Newsletter 13.
Contents.
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.
Welcome to my latest Newsletter. I hope you find something here to benefit your ministry.
My own ministry has changed somewhat over the last few months. From being a 'Children's Entertainer', I now advertise myself as a 'Children's Evangelist.' Although the fun-filled programs I present are much the same as before, my emphasis has changed from entertaining the children and showing them that "Bible" can be fun, to reaching them for Christ.
I have just completed what I would describe as one of the most exciting and rewarding weeks of my life. Schools in New Zealand are on holiday at present, and it is thrilling to know that many churches in the Auckland region at least are taking advantage of that and running Kids holiday programs and sometimes camps mainly for non-Church children. Indeed there seems to be a growing awareness among the Auckland churches that children are very important - indeed they are our future! Many churches now also run after-school Kids clubs on a regular basis.
Last week I had the privilege of ministering to hundreds of children at five holiday programs, a camp, a "Family" service and a Sunday school. Most of the children responded to receive Christ, usually following my "gift" illustration (Object Lesson No.8 - Receiving Jesus). The response was so much greater than I had anticipated that after only two days I had given out my entire stock of 150 "Special to God" booklets (Highly recommended and obtainable from "Kidsreach" ( www.kidsreach.org.nz ).
There are some Christians who doubt the wisdom of inviting non-Church children to accept Christ, citing that "they don't really understand", "they only respond to please the Leader or because their friends are doing so", "it is hard to follow them up", "their parents may complain" and "pressure from home and peers will soon make them give up." I also have had my reservations in this area, but my doubts were answered recently by two emails I received.
When I lived in Scotland, I ran a Kids club for non-Church children - Prestwick Crusaders. My emails were from two of those Crusaders, now aged about twenty. They are both following Jesus, and one boy told me that he has recently been baptised, and is hoping to get a job in Christian Broadcasting. I also know that a third member of that little class is now studying at a Bible college.
So yes, I am convinced that we must give children an opportunity to accept Christ because, for all we know, that may be the last time they hear the Gospel and have an opportunity to do so. And if some are insincere or fall away, so what? Surely it is worth it for the ones who don't - even if that is only one in a hundred. In any case, only God really knows their hearts, and He is "well able to keep that which we entrust to him." Actually, I do believe that most children are sincere, although they may not yet be ready to embark on an intensive Bible study course! Indeed, I offered a follow up booklet to one eight year old girl recently, and she responded by saying that she would prefer a balloon instead! I am not, however, an advocate of making an "appeal" after every meeting, believing that is something to reserve for "special" occasions. Otherwise the people may become indifferent in their attitude to making such a vital decision.
I find that children generally are very open to the Gospel. Then comes the huge task of Discipleship! But after all, isn't that what church is all about?
I consider myself very fortunate to be involved in Children's ministry, dealing with people who are so "open" and responsive. In contrast, my main ministry for many years was in the area of "door to door" evangelism. Although that was not without its fulfilling moments, generally it was pretty hard going (see 'Anecdotes from the doors" below). It is very true that without Christ, people usually do grow 'hard in their hearts' towards God. It is so much better to reach them while they are young.
"Sow your seed in the morning and in the evening for you do not know which will grow. Perhaps it all will." (Ecclesiastes 11 v. 6).
Contents.
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.
31. Discovering your gifts.
God has given us all many different gifts, talents and abilities. Here is a lesson to help children understand about discovering those gifts.
The ink that comes from a felt tip pen will appear to be just one color, but in fact it will probably be a mixture of different colors. This is how to discover those different colors (c.f. discovering our different gifts). Choose four or five different colored felt tip pens. It is best to use fairly dark colors and fairly cheap pens as these will contain more impurities (i.e. colors). Take a strip of white tissue paper (e.g. 15cm. x 8cm.) and make a line of dots with your different pens about 3cm. from the bottom. Hang your paper over the edge of a glass containing about 2 cm. of water, so that the bottom of the paper is in the water and the dots are about 1cm. above the water level. The water will begin to move up the tissue, and when it reaches the dots, capillary action will cause the hidden colors to travel up the paper at different rates.
After a few minutes, although there will probably be some "smearing", you should clearly be able to see three or four distinct colors originating from each dot.
"The Bible tells us that God has given each of us different gifts to use (Romans 12 v. 6). One of the most exciting things about growing up is to discover what special gifts, talents and abilities you have and then to use them to serve God.
I have made four colored dots on this tissue paper from these four differently colored pens. Although each dot looks as though it is made up of just a single color, actually there are a number of hidden colors hidden within each dot - as we shall now discover as I place the paper in a glass of water.
That is like you. You may think that you are only good at one thing, perhaps running, music, reading, drawing etc. When you get older you will find other gifts that God has already placed in you. Some of you may find that you have a gift for teaching, or for looking after small children. Others may discover they have a gift for writing or telling others about Jesus. Some of you may be good at making friends, listening to others, helping people in need, or giving to the poor. Some may find they are good at encouraging people, hospitality, or looking after the sick.
All these gifts, and many more, can be used to serve God. Jesus actually told us that when we are doing good to others, we are actually doing good to Him. (Matthew 25 v. 40). So discover which gifts God has given you. Concentrate on doing what you are good at, and use your abilities to serve God, because there is nothing more important or wonderful than that."
32. Facing trials and troubles.
Children particularly enjoy any lessons involving fire, water or balloons. The following object lesson involves all three, so should be a big hit!
Everyone faces trials and troubles at sometime in their life, but if we have put our trust in Jesus then He has promised to always be with us and help us through all our troubles.
1. Light a candle - the flame represents our trials and troubles.
2. Produce an inflated balloon - this represents the person who doesn't have Jesus in their life, and is therefore facing the trouble on their own. Let's see what happens when I put the balloon over the flame - BANG.
3. Produce an inflated balloon about one third full of water - this represents the person who has Jesus in their life (c.f. the water). Let's see what happens when I put this balloon over the flame - THE BALLOON IS UNHARMED.
Although both balloons faced the same trial (i.e. flame), the second one came through unharmed - because the water took away the heat before it could do any damage. In much the same way, Jesus is able to see us through our trials and troubles unharmed.
33. Can we trust our senses?
Sometimes our natural senses - sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste - let us down. However, there is one thing that will never let us down, one thing that is totally reliable - God's Word, the Bible.
Try out these hearing and eyesight tests on your class to show them that their senses are unreliable.
1. How many of each type of animal did Moses take onto the Ark?
(None. It was Noah who had the Ark).
2. You are the driver of a train. There are 30 passengers on board. At the first station, 10 passengers get off. At the second station, 5 passengers get on. What is the name of the train driver?
(You will probably have to repeat the question, using the right emphasis "You are the driver of a train - - - - ").
3. It is noon. You look at your watch, the little hand is pointing to 3, and the big hand is pointing to 6. What time is it?
(Noon. If your little hand is pointing to 3, and your big hand to 6, your watch must have stopped!).
4. Let's all spell out the word S. T. O. P. together. Then I will ask you a simple question that you have to answer immediately. S. T. O. P. spells STOP. What do you do when you come to a green light?
(Go.).
5. Let's all spell out the word S. I. L. K. together. Then I will ask you a simple question that you have to answer immediately. S. I. L. K. spells SILK. What do cow's drink?
(Water).
6. Write out the following two sets of words on triangular pieces of paper or cardboard as shown. Show each sentence to your class, and ask them to study it carefully. After about 15 seconds, put the paper away and ask them what it said. Most will get it wrong, missing out a "The" and an "A" respectively.
A
Bird
In The
The Bush
Once
In A
A Lifetime
Anecdotes from the doors.
My colleague Muriel and I once knocked on a door. A young lady (she told us she was 34) answered. The lady obviously was "special needs" - to use a modern expression. However, she was very interested in what we had to say, so we explained the Gospel to her as simply as we could. The lady seemed to understand and respond, so we led her to the Lord.
At that moment, the lady's mother arrived home. She got very angry and demanded to know who we were? and what we were doing? Muriel, in her usual calm voice, replied "We have got some good news for you. Your daughter has just been Born Again into the Kingdom of God."
Now, I have heard of people being rendered speechless, but this was the first and only time that I have actually witnessed it. The mother's mouth began to open and close rapidly, but not a sound was emitted!
At this point. we thought it best to say "Good night" and make our departure, committing both mother and daughter to the Lord as we did so.
My friend Iain once knocked on a door. A window nearby was opened, and a lady's voice from inside asked what he wanted. Iain explained, but the lady said that she couldn't open the door because her legs were "bad" and it would be too painful for her to get up and walk to the door.
Iain replied that Jesus could heal her, and offered to lay his hands on her and pray. The lady agreed. So that is what Iain did - through the open window! The lady then jumped up from her chair, shouting that the pain had all gone.
The following week, Iain revisited the lady. Again the same window was opened. The lady said that her legs were still "good" but that she was still not going to open the door to anyone. Iain reminded her that it was Jesus who had healed her, shared the Gospel, and led her to the Lord - all through the open window!
That lady never did open the door of her home to Iain, but more importantly, she did open the door of her heart to Jesus.
Here are some more "interesting" dialogues "from the doors."
Maurice. "Wouldn't you like to know for sure where you will go when you die?"
Lady. "Oh no, that would spoil the surprise!"
Lady. "I envy you 'born-again' Christians. You seem so sure of your faith."
Irene. "Who is Jesus, according to your belief?"
Lady. " I wish I knew. My church Bible study group often discuss who Jesus is, but we never seem to come
up with any definite answers."
Man. " I have really enjoyed talking to you. You are much more interesting than the Jehovah's Witnesses."
Lady. "When are you coming back again?"
Maurice. "You wouldn't answer my Survey questions, so what is the point in my coming back?"
Lady. "Well, the Jehovah's Witnesses keep coming back. I thought you would want to come back as well."
Lady. "I will not answer any of your questions."
Maurice. "Don't you want to share your faith?"
Lady. "No. I am an elder in my church."
Man. "Now that I have told you all that is wrong with the Church, what are you going to do about it?"
Jim. "We are conducting a Christian survey in your area. Will you answer a few questions for us please?"
Man. "This is much too cold a night for you to be standing outside."
Jim. " Why don't you invite us in then?"
Man. "No way! Good night."
Jim. "We would greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts and opinions about the Christian faith."
Lady. "No thanks. I go to church!"
Muriel. "Do you believe in God?"
Man. "I am not sure."
Maurice. "There either is a God or there isn't. Either a Creator deliberately made you for a purpose, or you are
just a product of time and chance reactions."
Man. "Then I hope I am just a product of time and chance."
Muriel. "Why do you say that."
Man. Because if there is a God, he is a sadistic ogre who causes the untold suffering of countless millions
of innocent children. And I wouldn't want to fall into the hands of someone like that!"
Maurice. "What do you believe will happen to you when you die?"
Man. "I will go to hell."
Maurice. " Wouldn't you rather go to heaven?"
Man. "Oh no. I will meet up with all my mates in hell, and we will have a big booze up!"
Maurice. "We are conducting a Christian survey. Will you answer a few questions for us please?"
Man. "No, You shouldn't be going round knocking on people's doors like this."
Maurice. "We simply want to share the love of Jesus with people."
Man. "I am a church Minister, and people don't like being confronted by fanatics like you."
Maurice. "Don't you think Christians should be sharing their faith?"
Man. "No. Faith is a very personal thing between you and God."
Maurice. "Didn't Jesus tell us to go out and share the Gospel?"
Man. "Yes, with the heathen. But this is a Christian country. There is no need to do it here. If anyone wants to find out more about Christ, all they need to do is go to a church."
Craig. "We are conducting a Christian survey in the area. Will you answer us a few questions about your
beliefs?"
Man. "No. I don't go to church because it is full of hypocrites. I don't believe in God and I think Jesus is just a
myth."
Craig. "Well, you have just answered our first four questions. Will you carry on and complete the other six?"
Maurice. "How often do you go to church?"
Lady. "Quite frequently. I have been to three weddings, one funeral and one christening already this year!"
Lady. "My husband is ill."
'Man of Faith' "God can heal him. No matter how bad his condition, God can make him completely whole.
If you wish, I will lay hands on him, and expect God to heal him. What is his problem anyway?"
Lady. "He has lost both his legs."
'Man of Faith' "-------Oh, I see. ------ On second thoughts, let me give you the phone number of my Pastor!"
Maurice. "What church do you attend?"
Lady. "I go to -------- church. We have a great minister. If you came along you would never want to go anywhere else. His preaching is so clear. He explains the Bible to us in a way that anyone can understand."
Maurice. "That's great. Now, according to your belief, who is Jesus?"
Lady. "That's too confusing a question for me. I've never really thought about it."
Maurice. "Do you believe that Jesus was God Himself in human form, or just a good man?"
Lady. "Well, now you put it like that, I think he was probably just a good man."
Maurice. "What do you believe will happen to you when you die?"
Man. "I will cease to exist. That is what the Bible teaches."
Maurice. "If you read your Bible, you would find that it talks about heaven and hell."
Man. "Heaven and hell are what you make of this life. The Bible says that afterwards there is nothing."
Maurice. "Can you tell me exactly where in the Bible it says that?"
Man. "I don't know the exact reference. But my minister agrees with me. He says that there is no life after
this one."
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers." (2 Corinthians 4 v. 4), but Jesus says "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8 v. 32).
Note. Thankfully, not all responses "from the doors" were so negative. I will share some of the more positive ones in the next Newsletter.
Newsletter 14.
Contents.
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.
Evangelising Children.
Shortly after I sent out my last Newsletter where I shared my thoughts on inviting children to receive Christ, I received a challenging article from "Evangelist Miller" via the Singapore based Children's Pastors network. As this is a subject which I am sure concerns us all, I will paste on the article in full at the end of this newsletter. In brief, however, Mr. Miller is strongly if favour of child evangelism as I am sure most of us are. However, in New Zealand and Australia thousands of children's workers (including myself) are regularly allowed into State primary schools to teach the Christian faith. But we are not permitted to evangelise. Although not referring directly to this situation, Mr. Miller's article would question the benefits of this practice. I quote two paragraphs :-
"A second, educational philosophy, says that a child
should not be led in making a decision for Christ, but
rather given a Christian education with an opportunity
to develop Christian thinking and habits, assuming
that the child's natural choice one day will be to
follow Christ.
The first problem with this approach is that the
unregenerate can neither understand nor live spiritual
truths. I Corinthians 2:14 says, "The natural man does
not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned." If the unregenerated
child attempts to live the Christian life he will
fail. No matter how enthusiastic he may be at first,
he lacks the power the Holy Spirit gives to enable the
believer. He will become disillusioned and perhaps
hardened to spiritual things making him actually
harder to reach as he gets older."
The question for us then must be "Is Christian teaching (where evangelism is not allowed) likely to be a benefit or a hindrance to children in their ultimate acceptance or rejection of Christ?"
Maurice Sweetsur.
34. The seriousness of sin.
Many children tend to categorise sin into big sins (e.g. murder) and little sins (e.g. a lie). Here are two illustrations you could use to help them understand that in God's sight all sin is serious.
a. Hold in one hand a crumpled piece of paper, and in the other a small but heavy object (e.g. a battery). Tell the children that the paper represents what many people think of as "little" sins like lying and swearing, and that the heavy object represents what many think of as "big" sins like murder and robbery. State that you are going to drop both objects to the floor at the same time. Ask the children which object they think will reach the floor first? Most should say the heavy object.
Drop both objects. They will reach the floor at the same time. (You may wish to repeat the exercise). State that sin is like that to God. The lighter or smaller sins are just as serious to Him as the weightier ones, for all wrongdoing is sin (1 John 5 v. 17).
b. Ask the children to imagine that both they and you are going to take a maths test where the pass mark is 100%. State that they - being really clever - get a mark of 98%, but that you - being not too good at maths - only manage 2%.
Ask the children how you have done - passed or failed? You have failed.
Ask the children how they have done - passed or failed? They also have failed.
Explain that although the children did much better than you in this imaginary test, they still failed. State that in life some people have led really led really bad lives and, rather like getting a mark of two out of a hundred, fall far short of God's standard, which is perfection. State that other people (give a few examples) have led wonderful lives, but no matter how good they have been they still come short of God's standard. Most people come somewhere between these two extremes, but the good news of the Gospel is that one man, Jesus, did lead a perfect life and reach God's standard. The even better news is that Jesus did it for us, and then died on the cross in our place, so that we could be forgiven - no matter how short of God's standard we have come.
35. Sin grows rapidly.
Children often fail to realise that sin, no matter how insignificant it appears at first, once we let it into our lives can grow very rapidly. Here are two illustrations to illustrate this.
a. Ask the children to imagine that they had a choice of receiving either $500 immediately, or 1 cent doubled every day for a month. Which would they choose? Most children will opt for the $500. Bad choice! If they had chosen the 1 cent doubled each day for a month, they would have ended up with over $5,000,000. (Work it out for yourself!). Sin grows rather like that. It may seem small and insignificant to start with, but left unchecked, it can rapidly grow to become a serious problem.
Alternative : A similar illustration can be used regarding witnessing. " If you told just one other person about Jesus today, and then tomorrow you both each told another person, and then the next day all four of you each told one other person, and you continued on like this. How long would it be before the entire world of about six billion people heard about Jesus? Answer: Just over a month! In contrast, if I, working alone, attempted to tell everybody in just Auckland (population 1 million) about Jesus at the rate of ten per day, it would still take me over 270 years to complete the task!
b. Have a volunteer come out and hold his arms outstretched. Produce a small length of wool, and tie it round the volunteer's wrists. Explain that this one twist of wool represents one sin (e.g. one lie). Ask the children to imagine that your volunteer told one lie, then realised what he had done was wrong and determined to break free from his sin and give up lying. Have your volunteer break free from the wool, which he will easily be able to do.
Repeat the above procedure, but this time produce a longer length of wool, and begin to wrap it around your volunteer's wrists, explaining that this time he did not give up his lying, but told another one to try and cover up his first, and then another, and another, etc. End up with about ten twists. Tie the length ends together. State that eventually your volunteer realised what he was doing, and decided to break free from his lies as before. But what happens this time? No matter how hard he struggles, he is unable to snap the wool and break free.
That is how sin works. The Bible says "He who sins is a slave to sin" (John 8 v. 34). Think for a moment what a slave is - someone who cannot do what he wants to do, and has to do what he doesn't want to do! If sin becomes a habit in your life (whether it is lying or something else), without help, it will be extremely hard to stop - even if you want to. The good news is that if we ask him, Jesus is able to break the power of sin in our life and, as the Bible says, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8 v. 36). Finally, produce a pair of scissors and set your volunteer free.
More Classic Comments.
(All from children.)
Teacher. "What do you have to be to go to heaven?"
Boy (aged 5). "Dead!"
"Jesus spoke in Aromatic."
"Mary and Joseph could not stay in the inn as it was Christmas, and it was full up."
"David fought the Philadelphian Giants."
"Noah's wife was Joan of Ark."
Teacher. "What did Jesus say to the girl He brought back to life?"
Child. "Wake up! Your dinner's ready!"
Teacher. "What did Jesus promise to make his twelve disciples into?"
Child. "Vicious old men." (Fishers of men!).
Teacher. "Who was the most sorry when the Prodigal son returned home?"
Child. "The fatted calf."
Teacher. "Does anyone know what a Prophet is?"
Child. "Yes. If I buy some lollies at $1, and sell them for $2, that will be a $1 prophet."
Teacher. "Which Commandment concerns how you should treat your parents?"
Child. "Honour your father and mother."
Teacher. "Good. Now which Commandment concerns how you should treat your brothers and sisters?"
Child. " Do not kill."
Teacher. "Give me another name for God?"
Child. "Harold."
Teacher. "Harold?"
Child. "Yes, the Lord's Prayer starts off ' Our Father, which art in heaven, Harold be thy name.' "
Teacher. "Give me another name for God?"
Child. "I think it is Peter. Christians are always saying ' Praise Peter (be to) God.' "
Teacher. "What did the wise men bring to baby Jesus?"
Child. "Gold, Frankenstein and mud."
Teacher. "If Moses were alive today, what would he be famous for?"
Child. "For being the oldest man in the world!"
Anecdotes from the doors (Part 2).
A number of people commentated on my previous "Anecdotes." As one person summed it up "If they weren't so sad, they would be funny." You should find that at least some of my present set are a little more encouraging.
Lady. "My mother became a Born Again Christian like you about a year ago."
Maurice. "Wonderful. Did you notice a change in her life?"
Lady. "Oh Yes. It has seemed to give her a whole new purpose to life."
Maurice. "Have you not considered becoming a Christian yourself then?"
Lady. "I did ask my mum to take me along to her church. But she told me to go and buy myself a hat first! I reminded her that I don't like hats, but she said that if I wasn't wearing a hat, I may not be allowed
in. And then she added that even if I was, I would be an embarrassment to her without my
having a hat on!"
Maurice. "So did you go to church?"
Lady. "No. I told my mother that in that case I wouldn't bother."
Lady. "I have enjoyed talking to you, and I will certainly read the John's Gospel that you have given me.
But I think you had better go now. My father is pacing about behind us. I can tell that he is getting
angry, and he may well come and throw a bucket of water over you!"
Unusual Answers.
When witnessing by means of the Christian survey form, many of the answers we got were somewhat predictable, though erroneous. For example, many people said that Jesus was "a good man" and that they would go to heaven because they were "Good." However, on occasions, people did come up with unusual and sometimes amusing answers. A few of them are recorded here.
1. Do you belong to a church, and how often do you attend its services?
Yes. I am a member of a church. But I haven't actually been to one of its services for about forty years.
2. What would encourage more people to go to church?
A. More weddings.
B. More people like you coming round to visit us.
C. Less preaching and more discos.
3. Who is Jesus?
A He is a state of your mind.
B. He is an Angel.
4. Would you like to know God personally?
A. Oh yes. If I could, I would shake his hand, and have a pint of beer with him.
B. It depends upon what He thinks about cannabis.
C. No. I enjoy life too much.
Parting Comments.
The extent to which people understand and respond to the Gospel can often be judged by their parting comments. Here are thirty of the more memorable ones.
1. I have enjoyed our conversation, but I am too old to change my ways.
2. Are you sure that you are not Jehovah's Witnesses?
3. When my son comes home, we will go up to his bedroom and together ask Jesus into our hearts.
4. I wish that my Minister spoke about Jesus the way that you do.
5. I never realised that Christians believed that Jesus was actually God.
6. I still don't believe the Bible when it speaks about hell. Hell is right here on earth. The next life is bound to be better.
7. You can leave some literature if you wish, but I won't have time to read it.
8. I can't spare you any more time. Coronation Street is about to begin on Television.
9. What you said was very interesting. But I am already good enough to go to heaven.
10. You won't have much success in this street - they are all sinners!
11. Will you go to my next door neighbour now and give him a good talking to - he pinches cabbages out of my garden!
12. I've understood completely what you have said, but I'm still not going to go to church.
13. If you Christians practiced what you say you believe, the world would be a much better place.
14. If God is really like the way you have described Him, then He is certainly well worth knowing.
15. I still don't understand why you came. You say you are not selling anything _ _ _ _ _ perhaps I could give you a donation for your church?
16. I am glad that you have found fulfilment in Christ, but it's not for me. I am happy just the way I am.
17. I don't need God in my life. I can provide all my own needs.
18. I still think that Christianity is just a crutch for weak-minded people.
19. I think you are wrong. God will judge me on how good I've been.
20. The Bible is full of contradictions. God cannot have written it.
21. You are not like other Christians. I really felt at ease while you were speaking. Please come back again.
22. I thought you were someone from the local Council doing a survey. If I had known you were from a church, I would never have spoken to you.
23. I once knew one of you Born-Again Christians at work. He made life miserable for everyone!
24. If God wants to save me, then He will. But He has not spoken to me yet.
25. I will never become a Christian. I enjoy life too much.
26. Christianity is not for me. I have enough troubles as it is.
27. I still can't believe that God cares about us. Otherwise He would not allow so much violence and injustice.
28. For the last hour all you have been saying is "God this ----, God that ---, and God the other ---." You have
been completely brain-washed!
29. Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses always seem to be knocking on my door, but you are the first person from the church who has called. Why is that?
30. Thanks for coming. I feel so relieved now that I have asked Jesus into my life.
Maurice Sweetsur.
Do children need to be saved? - Evangelist Miller.
First, there is a present situation that affects
children. Nearly one out of every four babies
conceived dies from abortion. 28% of those born are
illegitimate, starting life with a disadvantage.
The percentage of children living in single-parent
homes is three times higher than it was just thirty
years ago, 90% of those being without a father in the
home. The number of reported cases of child abuse is
steadily increasing. The amount of sex, violence and
antiChristian values depicted on television is at an
all time high and so is the number of hours watching
it. The national average is now over seven hours per
household. It's no wonder that grades are down while
the teen rate is the highest it has ever been. Fear of
crime has become our children's biggest worry.
Only Christ can give the children hope "in the midst
of a crooked and perverse generation." He is the only
source of true life in a world of crime and
immorality. And only with the changed life of today's
child can tomorrow's child be spared the same fate.
Children need to be evangelized for this to be.
But the eternal future of the child ought to motivate
us even more to evangelize.
In the parable of the lost sheep given in Matthew
18:11-14, Jesus identifies children as being lost,
straying and perishing unless they are saved. In Mark
10:14. He says, "Let the little children come to Me,
and do not forbid them." He implies that they need to
come to Him.
Hell is described in terrible terms. In Mark 9:44
Jesus quotes Isaiah in describing it as worms and fire
that never end. Matthew 8:12 talks of being cast into
"outer darkness." However, the most terrible thing
about Hell is being eternally separated from God. If
we refuse to evangelize children, we are condemning
them to a horrible future.
There is a stern warning on scripture to those who
would be complacent in evangelism. Ezekial actually
says that the sinner's blood will be on the hands of
the believer who does not warn him.
Challenges to Child Evangelism
Several philosophies that are held by some in society
that actually challenge the idea that children need to
be, or even can be evangelized.
A traditional philosophy says that a child in a
Christian home is not lost until he has use of reason
(usually set at about age twelve) because he is safe
under a covenant until that time. This philosophy is
based on false assumptions.
The first is that there is somewhere in Scripture a
covenant which exempts a person of the responsibility
of their sin until a certain age. The implication is
that a person is born safe and then must later make a
decision to either receive Christ or reject Him.
Scripture states that "he who does not believe is
condemned already." (John 3:18)
The other assumption is that children under twelve do
not have the use of reason.
A second, educational philosophy, says that a child
should not be led in making a decision for Christ, but
rather given a Christian education with an opportunity
to develop Christian thinking and habits, assuming
that the child's natural choice one day will be to
follow Christ.
The first problem with this approach is that the
unregenerate can neither understand nor live spiritual
truths. I Corinthians 2:14 says, "The natural man does
not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned." If the unregenerated
child attempts to live the Christian life he will
fail. No matter how enthusiastic he may be at first,
he lacks the power the Holy Spirit gives to enable the
believer. He will become disillusioned and perhaps
hardened to spiritual things making him actually
harder to reach as he gets older.
It is impossible to guarantee that anyone, even raised
in a Christian environment, will come to faith in
Christ. It has even been shown that the older one is,
the less likely it is that they will believe.
A third philosophy presenting itself an adversary to
child evangelism is based on modern psychological
thought. It contends that a child is incapable of
making a reasonable decision for Christ since he is
unable to comprehend symbolism and abstract concepts.
Nobody ever made a decision for Christ based on
reasoning. It is not that an unreasonable decision
must be made; faith in Christ is very reasonable. But
it is still a faith decision and not a reasoning
decision. Remember that to the "natural man ...the
things of the Spirit of God ...are foolishness."
Nobody comes to Christ with every question answered.
Salvation is a work of the Spirit of God, not a
function of the brain.
Even if we assume without argument that children
cannot grasp symbolism and abstract concepts, they are
still expressed in ways that are very real, if not
downright concrete. Love is an abstract concept, but
children love and know what they mean when they say,
"I love you."
Perhaps faith comes easier to a child precisely
because he is not as experienced as an adult in
reasoning why he should not submit to Christ.
The case from scripture
Even if there are good answers for these objections.
The case for child evangelism must be made. And it
must be made from scripture and shown in experience.
Fortunately, the Bible is not silent on the issue.
Jesus disciples asked Him, "Who then is greatest in
the kingdom of heaven?" (Matthew 18:1) Jesus responded
in a way that must have taken the disciples off guard.
He called a little child to Himself, took him in His
arms and sitting, as He always did when He taught,
answered their question.
His answer came in two parts, because there was a more
basic question that needed to be answered first: Who
will even be in the kingdom? The child was the model
for both.
In verse 3 Jesus told His disciples, "Unless you are
converted and become as little children, you will by
no means enter the kingdom of heaven." This thought is
echoed in Mark 10:14 when Jesus said, "Whoever does
not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will
by no means enter it." The word "convert" used in
Matthew is actually a strong form of a word referring
to change, not the usual Greek word used for spiritual
conversion. In other words, Jesus was telling the
disciples that they would have to be radically changed
and become like something they definitely were not at
that time just to make sure they would even make it
into the kingdom. They would have to become like
children. Then on top of that they would have to model
their humility after that of a child. Only then would
they be both in the kingdom and the greatest in it.
How ridiculous it would be for someone to agree that
Christ imposes these conditions on anyone who desires
greatness in His kingdom and then refuses kingdom
membership to those who He used as an example of these
qualities!
Jesus then went on not only to refer to "these little
ones who believe in Me" (Matthew 18:6) but also to
declare that, "Even so, it is not the will of your
Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones
should perish." (Matthew 18:14) Which little ones? The
little ones like the ones still in His arms. Not new
believers or He would have used a different Greek word
for children, a different model (or thrown his back
out taking a new believing adult in His arms,) and
would not have implied that they could perish.
What exactly was Jesus saying in Matthew 18:14? The
Bible does say that God is "not willing that any
should perish." (II Peter 3:9) Why did Jesus specify
children? Could Jesus have meant that not only is it
God's will that all are saved, but that they are saved
when they are children? How else could we guaranty
that no child perishes?
Jesus commanded His disciples to "Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature." Never
is there an amendment given to the great commission
that proof of age be shown by those who wish to hear
the gospel.
Further evidence of children believers is given in
Paul's epistles. The children of those desiring to be
elders were to be believers. (Titus 3:5) And in both
Ephesians (6:1-3) and Colossians (3:20) children are
addressed as part of the whole body of believers to
whom the epistles are written.
Evidence from experience
I have seen many children come to faith in Christ in
more than 30 years of ministry. Some of them I have
personally had the privilege of being used by God to
bring them to Him. Many of them only 4 and 5 years
old.
Admittedly, it is unusual to hear of a three-year-old
making a decision to follow Christ. In fact, only one
percent of all believers claim to have been converted
before the age of four. However, these include such
esteemed believers as Amy Carmichael, missionary to
India, and Dr. James Dobson, who occasionally refers
to his conversion on his radio show "Focus on the
Family" as an event that he remembers like it was
yesterday. He says that he understood exactly what he
was doing.
The largest age group from which believers come is
four to fourteen years. 85% of all believers date
their conversions to that period.
The Bible tells us, "For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8,9) Note that it is by
only by grace from God exercised by Him that anyone is
saved. We are saved through faith, also a gift from
God but exercised by the individual. There is no
mention of intellect or reasoning as a condition of
salvation. "Not many wise according to the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has
chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame
the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the
world to put to shame the things which are mighty." I
Corinthians 1:26,27
This does not mean you have to dispose of your brain
in order to become a Christian, but only that one does
not induce the work of regeneration through
intellectual reasoning.
I saw this in my own life. When first confronted with
the offer of salvation at age eleven I was a confirmed
atheist. (If a child does not believe in Christ, he
will believe in something.) When I finally surrendered
to Christ as Savior a little over a year later, it was
not because an apologist had given me thirty arguments
for the existence of God. God did a work in my heart.
After I was saved God immediately produce undeniable
evidence to me that He had indeed changed me in a
supernatural way.
The condition is faith alone in Christ alone. And the
most trusting, believing people in the world are
children. It's no wonder that it's the adults that
must be changed to become like children before they
can enter the kingdom of heaven and not the children
who must wait until they are adults.
So What?
So where does that leave the children workers. It
leaves us in no other position than to give the
evangelization of children a high priority in our
prayers, giving and in our out-reach programs
We must return to Matthew 18:11-14 and the parable of
the lost sheep for a model plan.
"If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes
astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to
the mountains to seek the one that is straying?"
Note that the shepherd did not wait for the sheep to
return. He did not send out a mass mailing. He did not
advertise special sheep meetings being held at the
fold. He did not redecorate to make it more
comfortable in hopes of attracting the lost sheep back
to the fold. He very simply went to where the lost
sheep was.
Amidst all the gimmicks, the best way is still to go
where the children are and preach the simple gospel in
a way that can be understood. - - - -
We must first realize that most unsaved children will
never make it into a church building where the gospel
is preached. We must then develop a plan for reaching
them where they are, in their own neighborhoods. This
can be accomplished through the believers that live
there. The problem has been that most believers are
not actively involved in evangelism. (I have heard the
figure 98%.) It is a problem of motivation.
Believers, out of a love for God, need to start making
the evangelization of children a priority.
If you are a believer, what are you doing now to
evangelize the children you come in contact with?
Contents.
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.
Evangelising Children.
Shortly after I sent out my last Newsletter where I shared my thoughts on inviting children to receive Christ, I received a challenging article from "Evangelist Miller" via the Singapore based Children's Pastors network. As this is a subject which I am sure concerns us all, I will paste on the article in full at the end of this newsletter. In brief, however, Mr. Miller is strongly if favour of child evangelism as I am sure most of us are. However, in New Zealand and Australia thousands of children's workers (including myself) are regularly allowed into State primary schools to teach the Christian faith. But we are not permitted to evangelise. Although not referring directly to this situation, Mr. Miller's article would question the benefits of this practice. I quote two paragraphs :-
"A second, educational philosophy, says that a child
should not be led in making a decision for Christ, but
rather given a Christian education with an opportunity
to develop Christian thinking and habits, assuming
that the child's natural choice one day will be to
follow Christ.
The first problem with this approach is that the
unregenerate can neither understand nor live spiritual
truths. I Corinthians 2:14 says, "The natural man does
not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned." If the unregenerated
child attempts to live the Christian life he will
fail. No matter how enthusiastic he may be at first,
he lacks the power the Holy Spirit gives to enable the
believer. He will become disillusioned and perhaps
hardened to spiritual things making him actually
harder to reach as he gets older."
The question for us then must be "Is Christian teaching (where evangelism is not allowed) likely to be a benefit or a hindrance to children in their ultimate acceptance or rejection of Christ?"
Maurice Sweetsur.
34. The seriousness of sin.
Many children tend to categorise sin into big sins (e.g. murder) and little sins (e.g. a lie). Here are two illustrations you could use to help them understand that in God's sight all sin is serious.
a. Hold in one hand a crumpled piece of paper, and in the other a small but heavy object (e.g. a battery). Tell the children that the paper represents what many people think of as "little" sins like lying and swearing, and that the heavy object represents what many think of as "big" sins like murder and robbery. State that you are going to drop both objects to the floor at the same time. Ask the children which object they think will reach the floor first? Most should say the heavy object.
Drop both objects. They will reach the floor at the same time. (You may wish to repeat the exercise). State that sin is like that to God. The lighter or smaller sins are just as serious to Him as the weightier ones, for all wrongdoing is sin (1 John 5 v. 17).
b. Ask the children to imagine that both they and you are going to take a maths test where the pass mark is 100%. State that they - being really clever - get a mark of 98%, but that you - being not too good at maths - only manage 2%.
Ask the children how you have done - passed or failed? You have failed.
Ask the children how they have done - passed or failed? They also have failed.
Explain that although the children did much better than you in this imaginary test, they still failed. State that in life some people have led really led really bad lives and, rather like getting a mark of two out of a hundred, fall far short of God's standard, which is perfection. State that other people (give a few examples) have led wonderful lives, but no matter how good they have been they still come short of God's standard. Most people come somewhere between these two extremes, but the good news of the Gospel is that one man, Jesus, did lead a perfect life and reach God's standard. The even better news is that Jesus did it for us, and then died on the cross in our place, so that we could be forgiven - no matter how short of God's standard we have come.
35. Sin grows rapidly.
Children often fail to realise that sin, no matter how insignificant it appears at first, once we let it into our lives can grow very rapidly. Here are two illustrations to illustrate this.
a. Ask the children to imagine that they had a choice of receiving either $500 immediately, or 1 cent doubled every day for a month. Which would they choose? Most children will opt for the $500. Bad choice! If they had chosen the 1 cent doubled each day for a month, they would have ended up with over $5,000,000. (Work it out for yourself!). Sin grows rather like that. It may seem small and insignificant to start with, but left unchecked, it can rapidly grow to become a serious problem.
Alternative : A similar illustration can be used regarding witnessing. " If you told just one other person about Jesus today, and then tomorrow you both each told another person, and then the next day all four of you each told one other person, and you continued on like this. How long would it be before the entire world of about six billion people heard about Jesus? Answer: Just over a month! In contrast, if I, working alone, attempted to tell everybody in just Auckland (population 1 million) about Jesus at the rate of ten per day, it would still take me over 270 years to complete the task!
b. Have a volunteer come out and hold his arms outstretched. Produce a small length of wool, and tie it round the volunteer's wrists. Explain that this one twist of wool represents one sin (e.g. one lie). Ask the children to imagine that your volunteer told one lie, then realised what he had done was wrong and determined to break free from his sin and give up lying. Have your volunteer break free from the wool, which he will easily be able to do.
Repeat the above procedure, but this time produce a longer length of wool, and begin to wrap it around your volunteer's wrists, explaining that this time he did not give up his lying, but told another one to try and cover up his first, and then another, and another, etc. End up with about ten twists. Tie the length ends together. State that eventually your volunteer realised what he was doing, and decided to break free from his lies as before. But what happens this time? No matter how hard he struggles, he is unable to snap the wool and break free.
That is how sin works. The Bible says "He who sins is a slave to sin" (John 8 v. 34). Think for a moment what a slave is - someone who cannot do what he wants to do, and has to do what he doesn't want to do! If sin becomes a habit in your life (whether it is lying or something else), without help, it will be extremely hard to stop - even if you want to. The good news is that if we ask him, Jesus is able to break the power of sin in our life and, as the Bible says, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8 v. 36). Finally, produce a pair of scissors and set your volunteer free.
More Classic Comments.
(All from children.)
Teacher. "What do you have to be to go to heaven?"
Boy (aged 5). "Dead!"
"Jesus spoke in Aromatic."
"Mary and Joseph could not stay in the inn as it was Christmas, and it was full up."
"David fought the Philadelphian Giants."
"Noah's wife was Joan of Ark."
Teacher. "What did Jesus say to the girl He brought back to life?"
Child. "Wake up! Your dinner's ready!"
Teacher. "What did Jesus promise to make his twelve disciples into?"
Child. "Vicious old men." (Fishers of men!).
Teacher. "Who was the most sorry when the Prodigal son returned home?"
Child. "The fatted calf."
Teacher. "Does anyone know what a Prophet is?"
Child. "Yes. If I buy some lollies at $1, and sell them for $2, that will be a $1 prophet."
Teacher. "Which Commandment concerns how you should treat your parents?"
Child. "Honour your father and mother."
Teacher. "Good. Now which Commandment concerns how you should treat your brothers and sisters?"
Child. " Do not kill."
Teacher. "Give me another name for God?"
Child. "Harold."
Teacher. "Harold?"
Child. "Yes, the Lord's Prayer starts off ' Our Father, which art in heaven, Harold be thy name.' "
Teacher. "Give me another name for God?"
Child. "I think it is Peter. Christians are always saying ' Praise Peter (be to) God.' "
Teacher. "What did the wise men bring to baby Jesus?"
Child. "Gold, Frankenstein and mud."
Teacher. "If Moses were alive today, what would he be famous for?"
Child. "For being the oldest man in the world!"
Anecdotes from the doors (Part 2).
A number of people commentated on my previous "Anecdotes." As one person summed it up "If they weren't so sad, they would be funny." You should find that at least some of my present set are a little more encouraging.
Lady. "My mother became a Born Again Christian like you about a year ago."
Maurice. "Wonderful. Did you notice a change in her life?"
Lady. "Oh Yes. It has seemed to give her a whole new purpose to life."
Maurice. "Have you not considered becoming a Christian yourself then?"
Lady. "I did ask my mum to take me along to her church. But she told me to go and buy myself a hat first! I reminded her that I don't like hats, but she said that if I wasn't wearing a hat, I may not be allowed
in. And then she added that even if I was, I would be an embarrassment to her without my
having a hat on!"
Maurice. "So did you go to church?"
Lady. "No. I told my mother that in that case I wouldn't bother."
Lady. "I have enjoyed talking to you, and I will certainly read the John's Gospel that you have given me.
But I think you had better go now. My father is pacing about behind us. I can tell that he is getting
angry, and he may well come and throw a bucket of water over you!"
Unusual Answers.
When witnessing by means of the Christian survey form, many of the answers we got were somewhat predictable, though erroneous. For example, many people said that Jesus was "a good man" and that they would go to heaven because they were "Good." However, on occasions, people did come up with unusual and sometimes amusing answers. A few of them are recorded here.
1. Do you belong to a church, and how often do you attend its services?
Yes. I am a member of a church. But I haven't actually been to one of its services for about forty years.
2. What would encourage more people to go to church?
A. More weddings.
B. More people like you coming round to visit us.
C. Less preaching and more discos.
3. Who is Jesus?
A He is a state of your mind.
B. He is an Angel.
4. Would you like to know God personally?
A. Oh yes. If I could, I would shake his hand, and have a pint of beer with him.
B. It depends upon what He thinks about cannabis.
C. No. I enjoy life too much.
Parting Comments.
The extent to which people understand and respond to the Gospel can often be judged by their parting comments. Here are thirty of the more memorable ones.
1. I have enjoyed our conversation, but I am too old to change my ways.
2. Are you sure that you are not Jehovah's Witnesses?
3. When my son comes home, we will go up to his bedroom and together ask Jesus into our hearts.
4. I wish that my Minister spoke about Jesus the way that you do.
5. I never realised that Christians believed that Jesus was actually God.
6. I still don't believe the Bible when it speaks about hell. Hell is right here on earth. The next life is bound to be better.
7. You can leave some literature if you wish, but I won't have time to read it.
8. I can't spare you any more time. Coronation Street is about to begin on Television.
9. What you said was very interesting. But I am already good enough to go to heaven.
10. You won't have much success in this street - they are all sinners!
11. Will you go to my next door neighbour now and give him a good talking to - he pinches cabbages out of my garden!
12. I've understood completely what you have said, but I'm still not going to go to church.
13. If you Christians practiced what you say you believe, the world would be a much better place.
14. If God is really like the way you have described Him, then He is certainly well worth knowing.
15. I still don't understand why you came. You say you are not selling anything _ _ _ _ _ perhaps I could give you a donation for your church?
16. I am glad that you have found fulfilment in Christ, but it's not for me. I am happy just the way I am.
17. I don't need God in my life. I can provide all my own needs.
18. I still think that Christianity is just a crutch for weak-minded people.
19. I think you are wrong. God will judge me on how good I've been.
20. The Bible is full of contradictions. God cannot have written it.
21. You are not like other Christians. I really felt at ease while you were speaking. Please come back again.
22. I thought you were someone from the local Council doing a survey. If I had known you were from a church, I would never have spoken to you.
23. I once knew one of you Born-Again Christians at work. He made life miserable for everyone!
24. If God wants to save me, then He will. But He has not spoken to me yet.
25. I will never become a Christian. I enjoy life too much.
26. Christianity is not for me. I have enough troubles as it is.
27. I still can't believe that God cares about us. Otherwise He would not allow so much violence and injustice.
28. For the last hour all you have been saying is "God this ----, God that ---, and God the other ---." You have
been completely brain-washed!
29. Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses always seem to be knocking on my door, but you are the first person from the church who has called. Why is that?
30. Thanks for coming. I feel so relieved now that I have asked Jesus into my life.
Maurice Sweetsur.
Do children need to be saved? - Evangelist Miller.
First, there is a present situation that affects
children. Nearly one out of every four babies
conceived dies from abortion. 28% of those born are
illegitimate, starting life with a disadvantage.
The percentage of children living in single-parent
homes is three times higher than it was just thirty
years ago, 90% of those being without a father in the
home. The number of reported cases of child abuse is
steadily increasing. The amount of sex, violence and
antiChristian values depicted on television is at an
all time high and so is the number of hours watching
it. The national average is now over seven hours per
household. It's no wonder that grades are down while
the teen rate is the highest it has ever been. Fear of
crime has become our children's biggest worry.
Only Christ can give the children hope "in the midst
of a crooked and perverse generation." He is the only
source of true life in a world of crime and
immorality. And only with the changed life of today's
child can tomorrow's child be spared the same fate.
Children need to be evangelized for this to be.
But the eternal future of the child ought to motivate
us even more to evangelize.
In the parable of the lost sheep given in Matthew
18:11-14, Jesus identifies children as being lost,
straying and perishing unless they are saved. In Mark
10:14. He says, "Let the little children come to Me,
and do not forbid them." He implies that they need to
come to Him.
Hell is described in terrible terms. In Mark 9:44
Jesus quotes Isaiah in describing it as worms and fire
that never end. Matthew 8:12 talks of being cast into
"outer darkness." However, the most terrible thing
about Hell is being eternally separated from God. If
we refuse to evangelize children, we are condemning
them to a horrible future.
There is a stern warning on scripture to those who
would be complacent in evangelism. Ezekial actually
says that the sinner's blood will be on the hands of
the believer who does not warn him.
Challenges to Child Evangelism
Several philosophies that are held by some in society
that actually challenge the idea that children need to
be, or even can be evangelized.
A traditional philosophy says that a child in a
Christian home is not lost until he has use of reason
(usually set at about age twelve) because he is safe
under a covenant until that time. This philosophy is
based on false assumptions.
The first is that there is somewhere in Scripture a
covenant which exempts a person of the responsibility
of their sin until a certain age. The implication is
that a person is born safe and then must later make a
decision to either receive Christ or reject Him.
Scripture states that "he who does not believe is
condemned already." (John 3:18)
The other assumption is that children under twelve do
not have the use of reason.
A second, educational philosophy, says that a child
should not be led in making a decision for Christ, but
rather given a Christian education with an opportunity
to develop Christian thinking and habits, assuming
that the child's natural choice one day will be to
follow Christ.
The first problem with this approach is that the
unregenerate can neither understand nor live spiritual
truths. I Corinthians 2:14 says, "The natural man does
not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned." If the unregenerated
child attempts to live the Christian life he will
fail. No matter how enthusiastic he may be at first,
he lacks the power the Holy Spirit gives to enable the
believer. He will become disillusioned and perhaps
hardened to spiritual things making him actually
harder to reach as he gets older.
It is impossible to guarantee that anyone, even raised
in a Christian environment, will come to faith in
Christ. It has even been shown that the older one is,
the less likely it is that they will believe.
A third philosophy presenting itself an adversary to
child evangelism is based on modern psychological
thought. It contends that a child is incapable of
making a reasonable decision for Christ since he is
unable to comprehend symbolism and abstract concepts.
Nobody ever made a decision for Christ based on
reasoning. It is not that an unreasonable decision
must be made; faith in Christ is very reasonable. But
it is still a faith decision and not a reasoning
decision. Remember that to the "natural man ...the
things of the Spirit of God ...are foolishness."
Nobody comes to Christ with every question answered.
Salvation is a work of the Spirit of God, not a
function of the brain.
Even if we assume without argument that children
cannot grasp symbolism and abstract concepts, they are
still expressed in ways that are very real, if not
downright concrete. Love is an abstract concept, but
children love and know what they mean when they say,
"I love you."
Perhaps faith comes easier to a child precisely
because he is not as experienced as an adult in
reasoning why he should not submit to Christ.
The case from scripture
Even if there are good answers for these objections.
The case for child evangelism must be made. And it
must be made from scripture and shown in experience.
Fortunately, the Bible is not silent on the issue.
Jesus disciples asked Him, "Who then is greatest in
the kingdom of heaven?" (Matthew 18:1) Jesus responded
in a way that must have taken the disciples off guard.
He called a little child to Himself, took him in His
arms and sitting, as He always did when He taught,
answered their question.
His answer came in two parts, because there was a more
basic question that needed to be answered first: Who
will even be in the kingdom? The child was the model
for both.
In verse 3 Jesus told His disciples, "Unless you are
converted and become as little children, you will by
no means enter the kingdom of heaven." This thought is
echoed in Mark 10:14 when Jesus said, "Whoever does
not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will
by no means enter it." The word "convert" used in
Matthew is actually a strong form of a word referring
to change, not the usual Greek word used for spiritual
conversion. In other words, Jesus was telling the
disciples that they would have to be radically changed
and become like something they definitely were not at
that time just to make sure they would even make it
into the kingdom. They would have to become like
children. Then on top of that they would have to model
their humility after that of a child. Only then would
they be both in the kingdom and the greatest in it.
How ridiculous it would be for someone to agree that
Christ imposes these conditions on anyone who desires
greatness in His kingdom and then refuses kingdom
membership to those who He used as an example of these
qualities!
Jesus then went on not only to refer to "these little
ones who believe in Me" (Matthew 18:6) but also to
declare that, "Even so, it is not the will of your
Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones
should perish." (Matthew 18:14) Which little ones? The
little ones like the ones still in His arms. Not new
believers or He would have used a different Greek word
for children, a different model (or thrown his back
out taking a new believing adult in His arms,) and
would not have implied that they could perish.
What exactly was Jesus saying in Matthew 18:14? The
Bible does say that God is "not willing that any
should perish." (II Peter 3:9) Why did Jesus specify
children? Could Jesus have meant that not only is it
God's will that all are saved, but that they are saved
when they are children? How else could we guaranty
that no child perishes?
Jesus commanded His disciples to "Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature." Never
is there an amendment given to the great commission
that proof of age be shown by those who wish to hear
the gospel.
Further evidence of children believers is given in
Paul's epistles. The children of those desiring to be
elders were to be believers. (Titus 3:5) And in both
Ephesians (6:1-3) and Colossians (3:20) children are
addressed as part of the whole body of believers to
whom the epistles are written.
Evidence from experience
I have seen many children come to faith in Christ in
more than 30 years of ministry. Some of them I have
personally had the privilege of being used by God to
bring them to Him. Many of them only 4 and 5 years
old.
Admittedly, it is unusual to hear of a three-year-old
making a decision to follow Christ. In fact, only one
percent of all believers claim to have been converted
before the age of four. However, these include such
esteemed believers as Amy Carmichael, missionary to
India, and Dr. James Dobson, who occasionally refers
to his conversion on his radio show "Focus on the
Family" as an event that he remembers like it was
yesterday. He says that he understood exactly what he
was doing.
The largest age group from which believers come is
four to fourteen years. 85% of all believers date
their conversions to that period.
The Bible tells us, "For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8,9) Note that it is by
only by grace from God exercised by Him that anyone is
saved. We are saved through faith, also a gift from
God but exercised by the individual. There is no
mention of intellect or reasoning as a condition of
salvation. "Not many wise according to the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has
chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame
the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the
world to put to shame the things which are mighty." I
Corinthians 1:26,27
This does not mean you have to dispose of your brain
in order to become a Christian, but only that one does
not induce the work of regeneration through
intellectual reasoning.
I saw this in my own life. When first confronted with
the offer of salvation at age eleven I was a confirmed
atheist. (If a child does not believe in Christ, he
will believe in something.) When I finally surrendered
to Christ as Savior a little over a year later, it was
not because an apologist had given me thirty arguments
for the existence of God. God did a work in my heart.
After I was saved God immediately produce undeniable
evidence to me that He had indeed changed me in a
supernatural way.
The condition is faith alone in Christ alone. And the
most trusting, believing people in the world are
children. It's no wonder that it's the adults that
must be changed to become like children before they
can enter the kingdom of heaven and not the children
who must wait until they are adults.
So What?
So where does that leave the children workers. It
leaves us in no other position than to give the
evangelization of children a high priority in our
prayers, giving and in our out-reach programs
We must return to Matthew 18:11-14 and the parable of
the lost sheep for a model plan.
"If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes
astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to
the mountains to seek the one that is straying?"
Note that the shepherd did not wait for the sheep to
return. He did not send out a mass mailing. He did not
advertise special sheep meetings being held at the
fold. He did not redecorate to make it more
comfortable in hopes of attracting the lost sheep back
to the fold. He very simply went to where the lost
sheep was.
Amidst all the gimmicks, the best way is still to go
where the children are and preach the simple gospel in
a way that can be understood. - - - -
We must first realize that most unsaved children will
never make it into a church building where the gospel
is preached. We must then develop a plan for reaching
them where they are, in their own neighborhoods. This
can be accomplished through the believers that live
there. The problem has been that most believers are
not actively involved in evangelism. (I have heard the
figure 98%.) It is a problem of motivation.
Believers, out of a love for God, need to start making
the evangelization of children a priority.
If you are a believer, what are you doing now to
evangelize the children you come in contact with?
Newsletter 15.
Contents.
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!
Evangelising Children.
In my last Newsletter, I posed the question "Is Christian teaching (where evangelism is not allowed) likely to be a benefit or a hindrance to children in their ultimate acceptance or rejection of Christ?" I received four responses to this, all of which I found encouraging and challenging. They are therefore shown below.
1. "In response to your last question! I feel that presenting the Truth is our responsibility and the working in the heart of a child is the job of the Holy Spirit. Thus, as we share the truth, the Holy Spirit has the opportunity at His Time, to work in the life of each one. We are sowers and others come along to water and harvest as the Holy Spirit works in ones life. Thus, I encourage one to share truth even with out a response time, and know that it is now in hands of Holy Spirit."
Dean Bohl, Dublin, Ohio
2. "About the question of teaching without evangelizing. I took the early CEF training and we were told kids do get Gospel hardened if they hear the gospel over and over without being offered a chance to receive Christ. That could be true. I had a Bible Club for years before taking the training and then the children were given the chance to respond and 22 did at one class. However--some children may never hear the Gospel anywhere except at a place where no invitation is given. The Bible says preach the Word in season and out of season and also, the Word of the Lord will not return to Him void. I am convinced the Holy Spirit is the one who does the work anyway, so I depend on Him to do it.
When my youngest daughter was four, she had heard the Gospel many times without any response. I asked the church to pray. Very soon, she received Christ.
I think if I was in a situation where the state would not allow me to give an invitation, I would say what was allowed and tell the children if any of them would like for me to visit their homes and tell them how they could be saved, let me know. Or maybe stay after class and I could give them a tract.
I thank the Lord for all who work with children. They need the Savior, just as older people."
In Christ,
Helen Setser
3. "In newsletter 14, you asked the question, "Is Christian teaching (where evangelism is not allowed) likely to be a benefit or a hindrance to children in their ultimate acceptance or rejection of Christ?" I would like to give you my view on this matter.
I have been involved with children's & youth ministry in several capacities for the past 18 years. The last 8 have been concentrated on the children as a lay person and now a Children's Pastor. The areas I have worked in are: an evangelistic program for the church and Religious Education in primary schools.
I have found that teaching in an environment such as a school, where you aren't allowed to evangelise, is beneficial and doesn't hinder children accepting Jesus as their Lord & Saviour. I look at it as seed planting. It has been amazing the response you get from children if the program in the school is run effectively. If you can get down to real life issues when teaching in the schools, children are quite open to hear what you have to say in spiritual areas and will make a response to accept Jesus at the appropriate time.
Being in schools gives an opportunity to build relationships with the children, staff and parents, building credibility to then invite children to an evangelistic program where they have the opportunity to receive Jesus.
If people have the chance to get into schools, even if it isn't teaching Religious Education, the doors God can open up for some kind of ministry is unbelievable.
The saying, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" definitely applies to children in today's society..
Ps. Trevor Arandale
4. "The question you raise in Newsletter 14 certainly is not new. The problem comes when one tries to justify a particular part of evangelism as if it stands alone.
We too easily forget that the church is a body -- His body and Christ is the head -- and as such, one part of the body has no right to criticize what another part of the body is doing on behalf of the head.
If all that took place in evangelism was an invitation that said, "Would you like to accept Christ as your savior?" I doubt that evangelism would be very useful. However, in the context of a clear presentation of the Gospel if one asks that question, the sentence becomes useful.
In the same way if all that "the Body" does is to educate children in the philosophy of Christianity with no one ever asking the question, we have done little to further the Kingdom. However, I have never seen that to be true even in the most restrictive of environments. Someone always asks to know more about this hope we have within us. And when they do they usually accept Christ in the process.
We tend to give too much emphasis and too much credit to what we do in the evangelism process and not enough to what God is doing through us. I have personally led a large number of people to Christ. Not one of those people ever accepted their Savior because of me (sometimes I think they did it in spite of me.).
Look to Scripture where Paul could easily have condemned those who were preaching Christ out of less than perfect motives. Instead he rejoices that Christ was being preached.
If God is leading you to evangelize by planting seeds and cultivating a garden, then be content to do so, even if that means you never see part of the harvest. If God is leading you to harvest and never plant any seeds, then harvest. But none of us should ever think that one job is more important than another. Or that somehow you are wrong if you do not do evangelism my way. God is greater than that. The body is greater than that.
On another note that Mr. Miller brings up at the end of his article. The concept that old people probably cannot be saved is a lie from the pit of Hell. I have led people to Christ who were in their 70s and 80s. Yes that is rare, but I think it is rare not because older people will not believe, but because of the lack of evangelism directed to that demographic group. Look at the massive amounts of time energy and programs directed at the unsaved children and youth around us. If we were to direct a similar amount of energy and resources at senior citizens we would see them coming to Christ in similar ratios.
While the average church often makes evangelistic appeals to unsaved children and youth, they almost never make evangelistic appeals to unsaved senior adults. In fact most of the ministry resources given to senior adults in our churches are directed toward "saved" senior adults. The Lost seldom even attend those services. It has been my experience that whenever Christ is high and lifted up people get saved. It doesn't matter what their age is."
Walter Leyerle
Associate Pastor
First Baptist Church
The Colony Texas
Object Lessons.
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."
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.
Testimony.
I recently received the following testimony from Jim Hill of Puppet2Puppet Puppet Productions. I think it will bless you.
I don’t know what the promoters were thinking when they asked our puppet troupe to play their rock and roll club in Hollywood. Maybe they thought it would be a laugh to watch the “crazy Christians” and their puppets.
Our attitude was “let them laugh” as long as one single soul was brought to Christ...
By the end of the evening, we had 57 Professions of Faith!
57 souls were saved that night!
MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!
Please let me share this uplifting story with you. I had better start at the beginning...
I was a little surprised when we received the phone call. I had never heard of The Key Club, but I was told it was located on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, right next to all the rock and roll clubs with names like The Roxy and The Whiskey.
I was even more surprised when they sent us the flyer for the event. It was called “Puppet Terror”. Apparently we would be sharing the bill with a heavy metal band and someone calling herself “Miss Satanica.”
In Puppet2Puppet’s 12 years of puppet ministry, we have performed in some “far-out” places -- in the terminal wings of hospitals, at an inner-city park recreation center for At-Risk kids, even in a Juvenile Detention facility. But this was a first! I prayed that night and the answer was clear. “Have Puppets, Will Travel” has always been our motto, and nothing was going to change that.
The night of the show, as I waited backstage, I must admit that I was nervous. The load-in had gone smoothly, but there had been some snickers and knowing looks from the heavy metal band during our soundcheck. I knew by now that this club had once been called Gazarri’s and that bands like The Doors and Van Halen had started out here. I swear I could almost smell the years of sin.
Our puppeteers were tucked away behind our puppet stage, waiting for me to introduce them and the curtains to open. I heard the announcer call my name and I walked into the lights.
I looked out and 500 rowdy strangers looked back! The crowd seemed to me a sea of black clothing and tattoos. I felt out-of-place in my sweater vest and carrying my bible. I took some comfort knowing that 30 of our people were out there, good Christians who had braved the traffic and the rock and rollers -- people from churches as far away as Orange County and Riverside. A group of young adults from our church even joined me on-stage, to lend moral support...and to get a front row seat, I’m sure!
The rest was a blur. I said something into the microphone about our ministry and the Lord’s work. And then I introduced the play.
I must say I was proud of our puppeteers that evening! We performed “Heaven Needs Firemen”, one of our most popular and effective puppet plays. The timing and puppetry were impeccable. The club’s crew had done a great job, real professionals! We had 7 microphones inside our puppet stage, one for each puppeteer! The lighting was very dramatic -- especially when the firemen appeared in Heaven to fight back Satan and the flames of Hell. Our “fire-hose” worked great, even if our puppeteer did get a little over-eager -- I’m afraid a good many people in the front row got more than a little wet!
We had added a special ending just for the occasion. Our Jesus puppet appeared in our Heaven set to thank the Firemen and welcome them to their eternal reward. He then asked the audience if they were ready to meet their Maker.
The show ended, I mumbled some thanks and a “God Bless” and walked backstage.
That’s when the real Miracles began!
Backstage, a crew-member from the club approached me. Voice trembling, he asked me if I would pray with him. My answer was a hearty “Yes!”
But the real surprise happened when I made it out front of the club. I couldn’t believe my eyes! There was what seemed like half the audience! They were surrounding our friends from church, some gathered in groups, some talking one-on-one with one of our people.
As the heavy metal music blared from inside, they began to pray. They knelt, right there on the sidewalk! Right there on the Sunset Strip!
By the end of the evening, we had received 57 Professions of Faith! I personally witnessed to a couple with matching devil-head tattoos on their necks and rings through every part of their bodies. Watching their joy as the Lord enter their hearts will be a memory I will cherish forever.
Thank you for letting me share this story. All of us involved in Puppet Ministry know that it can be a sometimes tiring and sometimes thankless task. But the real joy is not in the souls we reach, but in the act of celebrating the love of our Lord!
Please feel free to share this with other Christians who could use a boost!
“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!” Psalms 66, 1.
Yours in Puppets and in His name,
REVEREND JIM HILL
If you’d like to read “Heaven Needs Firemen”, please go to: http://www.puppetresources.com/index.php?scriptID=376&what=viewscript&t=1061182385
If you’d like to know more about Puppet2Puppet Puppet Productions, please go to: http://puppet2puppet.tripod.com/
Contents.
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!
Evangelising Children.
In my last Newsletter, I posed the question "Is Christian teaching (where evangelism is not allowed) likely to be a benefit or a hindrance to children in their ultimate acceptance or rejection of Christ?" I received four responses to this, all of which I found encouraging and challenging. They are therefore shown below.
1. "In response to your last question! I feel that presenting the Truth is our responsibility and the working in the heart of a child is the job of the Holy Spirit. Thus, as we share the truth, the Holy Spirit has the opportunity at His Time, to work in the life of each one. We are sowers and others come along to water and harvest as the Holy Spirit works in ones life. Thus, I encourage one to share truth even with out a response time, and know that it is now in hands of Holy Spirit."
Dean Bohl, Dublin, Ohio
2. "About the question of teaching without evangelizing. I took the early CEF training and we were told kids do get Gospel hardened if they hear the gospel over and over without being offered a chance to receive Christ. That could be true. I had a Bible Club for years before taking the training and then the children were given the chance to respond and 22 did at one class. However--some children may never hear the Gospel anywhere except at a place where no invitation is given. The Bible says preach the Word in season and out of season and also, the Word of the Lord will not return to Him void. I am convinced the Holy Spirit is the one who does the work anyway, so I depend on Him to do it.
When my youngest daughter was four, she had heard the Gospel many times without any response. I asked the church to pray. Very soon, she received Christ.
I think if I was in a situation where the state would not allow me to give an invitation, I would say what was allowed and tell the children if any of them would like for me to visit their homes and tell them how they could be saved, let me know. Or maybe stay after class and I could give them a tract.
I thank the Lord for all who work with children. They need the Savior, just as older people."
In Christ,
Helen Setser
3. "In newsletter 14, you asked the question, "Is Christian teaching (where evangelism is not allowed) likely to be a benefit or a hindrance to children in their ultimate acceptance or rejection of Christ?" I would like to give you my view on this matter.
I have been involved with children's & youth ministry in several capacities for the past 18 years. The last 8 have been concentrated on the children as a lay person and now a Children's Pastor. The areas I have worked in are: an evangelistic program for the church and Religious Education in primary schools.
I have found that teaching in an environment such as a school, where you aren't allowed to evangelise, is beneficial and doesn't hinder children accepting Jesus as their Lord & Saviour. I look at it as seed planting. It has been amazing the response you get from children if the program in the school is run effectively. If you can get down to real life issues when teaching in the schools, children are quite open to hear what you have to say in spiritual areas and will make a response to accept Jesus at the appropriate time.
Being in schools gives an opportunity to build relationships with the children, staff and parents, building credibility to then invite children to an evangelistic program where they have the opportunity to receive Jesus.
If people have the chance to get into schools, even if it isn't teaching Religious Education, the doors God can open up for some kind of ministry is unbelievable.
The saying, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" definitely applies to children in today's society..
Ps. Trevor Arandale
4. "The question you raise in Newsletter 14 certainly is not new. The problem comes when one tries to justify a particular part of evangelism as if it stands alone.
We too easily forget that the church is a body -- His body and Christ is the head -- and as such, one part of the body has no right to criticize what another part of the body is doing on behalf of the head.
If all that took place in evangelism was an invitation that said, "Would you like to accept Christ as your savior?" I doubt that evangelism would be very useful. However, in the context of a clear presentation of the Gospel if one asks that question, the sentence becomes useful.
In the same way if all that "the Body" does is to educate children in the philosophy of Christianity with no one ever asking the question, we have done little to further the Kingdom. However, I have never seen that to be true even in the most restrictive of environments. Someone always asks to know more about this hope we have within us. And when they do they usually accept Christ in the process.
We tend to give too much emphasis and too much credit to what we do in the evangelism process and not enough to what God is doing through us. I have personally led a large number of people to Christ. Not one of those people ever accepted their Savior because of me (sometimes I think they did it in spite of me.).
Look to Scripture where Paul could easily have condemned those who were preaching Christ out of less than perfect motives. Instead he rejoices that Christ was being preached.
If God is leading you to evangelize by planting seeds and cultivating a garden, then be content to do so, even if that means you never see part of the harvest. If God is leading you to harvest and never plant any seeds, then harvest. But none of us should ever think that one job is more important than another. Or that somehow you are wrong if you do not do evangelism my way. God is greater than that. The body is greater than that.
On another note that Mr. Miller brings up at the end of his article. The concept that old people probably cannot be saved is a lie from the pit of Hell. I have led people to Christ who were in their 70s and 80s. Yes that is rare, but I think it is rare not because older people will not believe, but because of the lack of evangelism directed to that demographic group. Look at the massive amounts of time energy and programs directed at the unsaved children and youth around us. If we were to direct a similar amount of energy and resources at senior citizens we would see them coming to Christ in similar ratios.
While the average church often makes evangelistic appeals to unsaved children and youth, they almost never make evangelistic appeals to unsaved senior adults. In fact most of the ministry resources given to senior adults in our churches are directed toward "saved" senior adults. The Lost seldom even attend those services. It has been my experience that whenever Christ is high and lifted up people get saved. It doesn't matter what their age is."
Walter Leyerle
Associate Pastor
First Baptist Church
The Colony Texas
Object Lessons.
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."
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.
Testimony.
I recently received the following testimony from Jim Hill of Puppet2Puppet Puppet Productions. I think it will bless you.
I don’t know what the promoters were thinking when they asked our puppet troupe to play their rock and roll club in Hollywood. Maybe they thought it would be a laugh to watch the “crazy Christians” and their puppets.
Our attitude was “let them laugh” as long as one single soul was brought to Christ...
By the end of the evening, we had 57 Professions of Faith!
57 souls were saved that night!
MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!
Please let me share this uplifting story with you. I had better start at the beginning...
I was a little surprised when we received the phone call. I had never heard of The Key Club, but I was told it was located on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, right next to all the rock and roll clubs with names like The Roxy and The Whiskey.
I was even more surprised when they sent us the flyer for the event. It was called “Puppet Terror”. Apparently we would be sharing the bill with a heavy metal band and someone calling herself “Miss Satanica.”
In Puppet2Puppet’s 12 years of puppet ministry, we have performed in some “far-out” places -- in the terminal wings of hospitals, at an inner-city park recreation center for At-Risk kids, even in a Juvenile Detention facility. But this was a first! I prayed that night and the answer was clear. “Have Puppets, Will Travel” has always been our motto, and nothing was going to change that.
The night of the show, as I waited backstage, I must admit that I was nervous. The load-in had gone smoothly, but there had been some snickers and knowing looks from the heavy metal band during our soundcheck. I knew by now that this club had once been called Gazarri’s and that bands like The Doors and Van Halen had started out here. I swear I could almost smell the years of sin.
Our puppeteers were tucked away behind our puppet stage, waiting for me to introduce them and the curtains to open. I heard the announcer call my name and I walked into the lights.
I looked out and 500 rowdy strangers looked back! The crowd seemed to me a sea of black clothing and tattoos. I felt out-of-place in my sweater vest and carrying my bible. I took some comfort knowing that 30 of our people were out there, good Christians who had braved the traffic and the rock and rollers -- people from churches as far away as Orange County and Riverside. A group of young adults from our church even joined me on-stage, to lend moral support...and to get a front row seat, I’m sure!
The rest was a blur. I said something into the microphone about our ministry and the Lord’s work. And then I introduced the play.
I must say I was proud of our puppeteers that evening! We performed “Heaven Needs Firemen”, one of our most popular and effective puppet plays. The timing and puppetry were impeccable. The club’s crew had done a great job, real professionals! We had 7 microphones inside our puppet stage, one for each puppeteer! The lighting was very dramatic -- especially when the firemen appeared in Heaven to fight back Satan and the flames of Hell. Our “fire-hose” worked great, even if our puppeteer did get a little over-eager -- I’m afraid a good many people in the front row got more than a little wet!
We had added a special ending just for the occasion. Our Jesus puppet appeared in our Heaven set to thank the Firemen and welcome them to their eternal reward. He then asked the audience if they were ready to meet their Maker.
The show ended, I mumbled some thanks and a “God Bless” and walked backstage.
That’s when the real Miracles began!
Backstage, a crew-member from the club approached me. Voice trembling, he asked me if I would pray with him. My answer was a hearty “Yes!”
But the real surprise happened when I made it out front of the club. I couldn’t believe my eyes! There was what seemed like half the audience! They were surrounding our friends from church, some gathered in groups, some talking one-on-one with one of our people.
As the heavy metal music blared from inside, they began to pray. They knelt, right there on the sidewalk! Right there on the Sunset Strip!
By the end of the evening, we had received 57 Professions of Faith! I personally witnessed to a couple with matching devil-head tattoos on their necks and rings through every part of their bodies. Watching their joy as the Lord enter their hearts will be a memory I will cherish forever.
Thank you for letting me share this story. All of us involved in Puppet Ministry know that it can be a sometimes tiring and sometimes thankless task. But the real joy is not in the souls we reach, but in the act of celebrating the love of our Lord!
Please feel free to share this with other Christians who could use a boost!
“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise!” Psalms 66, 1.
Yours in Puppets and in His name,
REVEREND JIM HILL
If you’d like to read “Heaven Needs Firemen”, please go to: http://www.puppetresources.com/index.php?scriptID=376&what=viewscript&t=1061182385
If you’d like to know more about Puppet2Puppet Puppet Productions, please go to: http://puppet2puppet.tripod.com/
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 3:04 PM
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