Parental Dependence
CHILDREN'S LESSON:
In my back yard are some very small trees. When they were first planted they needed lots of care. They had to be watered and fertilized. They were not strong enough to even stand on their own. Sometimes the wind blows very hard so they need a stake in the ground to support them.
Boys and girls, that's why God has given you a Mom and Dad that want you to grow up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Just like your parents held your hand when you were learning to walk, you still need their support to grow spiritually. Your parents help you know right from wrong. Your parents may even make you do chores, homework and perhaps even Scripture memory. All of these things are like that stake in the ground; they help you grow up to be a strong follower of Jesus.
"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6).
A New Perspective
When my oldest daughter was 15 months old, my wife and I were at a youth convention during the summer. As she was walking back to the dormitory with our little girl in tow, Anna kept stopping and laying down on the sidewalk. Mom would heave her back up on her feet and walk a few more feet, only to have Anna lay down once again on the cement. Starting to feel a bit frustrated, Mom stopped and looked at her daughter. She then got down on the ground with Anna and looked up and saw the most amazing display of stars in the summer night sky that she had ever seen.
So often in life, we are in such a hurry to get where we're going that we fail to stop and take the time to appreciate what is around us. And sometimes, if we just stop and take a different perspective on things, we might just see something beautiful...like another person's point of view, or a beautiful display of love and affection.
So don't be in such a hurry. Take time to appreciate where you are and what's happening around you.
Man may be executed for failing Bible quiz.
A headline in the Christian Post caught my attention this week. It read, “Iranian Christian convert fears execution if deported for giving wrong answers on Bible quiz.” Yes, you read that right. Perhaps you have taken a Bible quiz. You probably did not have to worry about be executed for failing it.
Is this real and how does something like this happen? Reza Karkah, a former Muslim, became a Christian while living in Iran, a criminal offense there which is punishable by death. For that very reason, he fled to the United Kingdom seeking asylum as a refugee. An immigration hearing was scheduled to determine if Mr. Karkah’s claim of conversion is true. At that hearing, a judge gave him a test with 150 Bible questions. The reasoning goes, if he is truly a Christian, he should have a certain knowledge of the Bible and be able to pass the test. If he does not pass, he is faking conversion as a pretext for immigration.
Imagine knowing that you had to take a test to evaluate your knowledge of the Bible. Pass it, and you get to stay in the country. Fail it, and you are deported and executed! Ask yourself this question: How hard would you study the Bible if you knew your life literally depended on it? Now ask yourself another question: Isn’t that exactly how hard you should study the Bible anyway? Philippians 2:16 refers to Scripture as the “word of life.” God’s Word brings life and when heeded, can save your life. So yes, read the Word of God as if you will die if you don’t! Cling to it as you would a life jacket while drifting at sea.
In case you’re wondering how Mr. Karkah did, he failed the test in part because he could not remember that Judas was the disciple who betrayed Jesus. It has yet to be decided if he will be deported and executed for that mishap. Perhaps we should all stop and pray for Mr. Karkah and his family.