Isaiah 41:10

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Sunday’s word: “SO DO NOT FEAR”

Monday’s word: “FOR I AM WITH YOU”

Tuesday’s word: “DO NOT BE DISMAYED”

Wednesday’s word: “FOR I AM YOUR GOD”

Thursday’s word: “I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU ”

Friday’s word: “I WILL HELP YOU”

Saturday’s word:” I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH MY RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND“

CHURCHES EDUCATION COMMISSION TOGETHER WITH SCRIPTURE UNION

MARCH 8th 2008

Kerikeri Baptist Church

For anyone thinking of working with children and for those who already do.

This training is for you.

CHILDREN’S CHURCH, BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Contacts: hackettlanding@free.net.nz / tepene@xtra.co.nz

At the moment one of the banks here in NZ is trying to get the following message across to us: At the bank you can see a poster with the words ” streamline” and “Free yourself from fees.” On the poster is also a man floating in the air between heaven and earth.

At once the message of the Bible comes to my mind: FREE YOURSELF FROM SIN! – First John 1:9!

But let us go back to the flying man on the poster.

There was a pastor in Germany who was really blessed by the Lord. Many came to the Lord through his ministry. Some young fellows even wanted to jump over the table when they could grasp for the first time that their sins were forgiven. Of course the Holy Spirit was working in their hearts. He said they almost behaved like the calves in Malachi 4:2.

wd

My mobile phone was running low on credit and when I bought a $20 ticket to top it up I noticed the following writing in the Vodaphone shop: “It’s great to be a talker.” There were actually two signs with the same writing. So please remember:“IT’S GREAT TO BE A TALKER!”

Wireless hotspots even talk about GLOBAL GOSSIP!

What does the apostle JAMES say to that? Please read James 1:19 and James 3:1-12.

Click on the verses!

I heard the story of a girl in California who committed suicide and when they searched her body they found a piece of paper and on the piece of paper was written: “THEY SAID!” It did not say what was said and who said it, but just :”They said.” And that was enough to take a life! (Proverbs 18:21)

I have here a number of booklets from a bank with the following titles ( One you have read already above) : “The meaning of life, business and a bunch of other stuff.” “The meaning of life, saving & investing and a bunch of other stuff.” “The meaning of life, insuring and a bunch of other stuff.”

I would say: The REAL meaning of life, fearing God and keeping his commandments! END OF STORY!

“Keep your face to the SUN and you will never see the shadows.”

The Bible says: Malachi 4:2 and Matthew 17:2; Revelation 1:16; Read also Matthew 13:43.

Click on the verses and read them!

I went with my wife to a Postie plus Shop in Auckland when I saw those big posters hanging from the ceiling. My wife gave me a pen to write and I found a piece of paper and wrote down what was written on some of the posters; but because of my bad hand writing I cannot read one. Never mind! One said “Dressing Up — Every Day”, another “Be Beautiful — Every Day”, the next one was “Hanging Out — Every Day”; but one really caught my attention because it said ” Conquering the world — Every Day!”
Yes, as Christians we must conquer the world every day.

We are not commanded to discover the world as a travel brochure says. I am looking at a travel brochure which says that we should discover the world in style. It is the brochure from APT World Discoveries.

Another thing is also important. We should not have the world in our house. Many years ago in Germany a leader of the Brethren told me the following story and I am telling it as good as I can remember. One member of the congregation bought a new TV. When he had the box at home still unopened he saw the writing on the box ‘The world in your home!’ That was enough for him to give the box back including contents.

But how do we conquer the WORLD — Every Day?

Let us see what the apostle James says in the Bible, the word of the Living God. In his letter in James 4:4 we read: Click on the verse! Also James 1:27. The apostle John says the same: Click on First John 2:15-117!

wd

Last Sunday I noticed a campervan with “FUTURE” written on it twice on the church parking lot. We had visitors and I talked to the man.

Today in Church we sang the song:”Because He lives I can face tomorrow” by Bill Gaither. The chorus says:” Because he lives I can face tomorrow; because he lives all fear is gone; because I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living just because he lives.”

Yes, Christians can face TOMORROW because the Lord Jesus Christ lives. Yes, Christians do have a glorious FUTURE because they know who is holding it.

A bank here in New Zealand says,” THE BETTER WE KNOW YOU THE MORE WE CAN DO.”

RELATIONSHIPS are very important. The better the relationship, the better the working together. The customer needs to know the Bank and the Bank needs to know the customer. It is true, “the better we know you the more we can do.”

A portion of Scripture comes to my mind straight away. It is Philippians 3:7-11. Twice in this passage the apostle Paul talks about knowing Christ. In verse eight he says,”…. I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,….” And in verse ten his heart cry is, “I WANT TO KNOW CHRIST….” He wanted to know Christ. The better we know the Lord, the more we want to do for HIM and the more we can do for HIM. The apostle knew nothing else but the Lord Jesus Christ. His whole life was a service for the Lord after his conversion on the Damascus Road ( Acts 9:1-19; Acts 22:3-21; Acts 26:2-23; Galatians 1:11-17) and he wrote 13 letters of the New Testament.

The better we know the Lord the more we want to serve HIM as individuals.

Sometimes I am wondering why the body of Christ is so powerless. There is still a lot of activity — but most of it is powerless.

Maybe the cause is that we don’t have the desire to know the Lord better. I think we have to pray more to know the Lord better.

wd

“TASMAN Motorhomes for the GREAT ESCAPE” was written on the back of the motorhome.

Why is this longing to escape in our hearts?

“No boundaries” is also written on camper vans. We don’t seem to like boundaries either!