“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8a)

Maria turned on the faucet for her mom. Then she slowly followed the hose to where her mom was watering the flowers. “How was your day, Maria?” her mom asked.

“Not very good,” Maria said. “Jessica ruined it.”

“Jessica ruined your whole day. Hmm. How did Jessica do that?”

“She didn’t want to sit by me or play with me today. She played with Sarah instead. Jessica’s supposed to be my best friend!” Maria glanced at the flowers. “That flower needs some water, Mom. It looks brown.”

“My hose doesn’t reach that plant,” she said. “I need to replant that flower before it dies.”

“Oh,” Maria said. “Anyway, it’s going to be a bad year. I am the only third-grader without a best friend.”

“I know how important Jessica’s friendship is to you, sweetie. I’m sure she will still be your friend if you talk to her about it.” Mom started rolling up the hose, and they walked back to the house. “But Maria, don’t let this ruin your year – or even your day. You can still be happy even if Jessica is being unkind.”

“But it’s so hard! How can I be happy when Jessica is being mean to me?”

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Our Source for Life →

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” (Ezra 7:10)

God’s people were not doing well. They had fallen into sin and were facing many enemies. They were discouraged and needed help. And so God sent a man named Ezra to help His people. (Ezra’s name actually means “to help.”) Why did God choose to use Ezra in such a great way? Maybe the reason is found in Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”

The word “prepared” tells us that sometime in Ezra’s life, probably when he was a boy, he decided something about the direction in life – he “set his heart.” Did you know that it is never too early to purpose in your heart that you want to serve the Lord? Most missionaries around the world gave their lives to Christ when they were young people.

But what did Ezra “prepare his heart” to do? He decided to do three things. First, he wanted to “seek the law of the Lord.” That means that he wanted to become an expert at knowing the Word of God! Have you ever decided to become an expert at something? Jason and Evan spent a lot of time playing a game called foosball or table soccer. They liked to team up and try to win against the teenagers, often making the older boys feel very silly to have been beaten by 10-year-olds. Jason and Evan had decided to become experts at foosball, and they did it!

Sports and games can be great fun and good exercise. But think how much better it must be for a young person to decide that the most important goal is to be an “expert” at trusting and obeying God’s Word? There is nothing more worthwhile than that!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Wants Your Heart →

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

When John says, “God is light,” what does he mean? Is he saying that God is like a giant flashlight? Or maybe God is like the sun?

In the Bible, darkness is often used to describe sin. Hell is said to be a very dark place because God’s glory is not present there. If sin is like darkness, then God is like light – because God is pure and holy.

Have you ever noticed how darkness and light cannot be in a room at the same time? Here is an example:

Matt was with his dad at an Atlanta Braves baseball game. As the fifth inning was coming to a close, the sun was going down and the sky began to grow darker. Suddenly, all the huge stadium lights flashed on and flooded everything with brilliant light. The stadium that once had become dimmer and darker was now just as bright as it would have been in the middle of a sunny day! What happened? The light drove away the darkness. Whenever light fills someplace, there is no more room for darkness.

Light and darkness are like God and sin. God will not stay in the same place as sin. That means when you choose to keep sin in your life, God will not fellowship with you. You may be close in one sense to God (He is present everywhere), but in a spiritual sense, you remove yourself far away from God when you sin against Him willfully. That is why John writes to Christians, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” (See 1 John 1:6.) You can say that you are walking with God all you want. But your actions will tell the real story.

Praise the Lord – the opposite is also true! When you are walking with God and choosing to please Him, there will be no room for sin in your life. Remember that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all! You should walk with God closely so that sin does not have a chance to creep into your life.

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“The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” (Exodus 15:2)

Allie was exhausted! She had spent all morning scrubbing the moldy walls and pipes in a smelly bathroom. She had spent all afternoon scraping paint off some door frames. And she had spent all evening washing paintbrushes and running errands for the adults who were putting up wallpaper on the walls.

Allie’s family was on a work trip to help some people in Mississippi whose house had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Her dad had a painting business, and her mom was a counselor, so Allie got to go down to Mississippi and be a part of the work crew, too. They were working on the house of an older lady named Miss Ruby. Miss Ruby was probably ready to retire, but she still worked a full-time job at a store in town so that she could pay the bills.

As she cleaned up the tools and threw away scraps of wallpaper, Allie was humming some of her favorite songs about the Lord. She wondered to herself if Miss Ruby knew about God, or – if so – what Miss Ruby thought about Him. She also couldn’t help but wonder what Miss Ruby would think when she walked through that door after her work tonight and saw all the progress the crew had made on her home! It looked brand new to Allie. Everything was white and neat and nothing like the moldy mess it had been when they first came. It made Allie happy to think of doing something that would make Miss Ruby so happy. She couldn’t wait for her to come home!

Have you ever helped to get somebody’s bedroom ready? Maybe you have even helped to fix up someone’s whole house, like Allie and her family did. That is the kind of idea in Exodus 15:2, that we prepare a habitation (a home, dwelling place) for God. The LORD is the Giver of salvation. He is strength for His people. He is what His people want to sing about. And He is the One we should exalt.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – Making Room for God →

“We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

Have your mom and dad ever told you that they “love you more” than you could ever love them, or that they have loved you longer? If so, they are probably right. You cannot even remember knowing your parents when you were first born, or – some of you – when you were first adopted, and you are probably still learning how to love them rightly. Your parents loved you first. They brought you into their home, and you belong to them. You are learning to respond to them with love in return. But they will always be the ones who loved you first, not the other way around.

Who “invented” love? Who created it? 1 John 4 reminds us that God did. God IS love. He is the Source of perfect love. And He loves people even when they are not lovable! Could a human being ever think up on his own the idea of God’s love? No. Could we ever earn God’s love? No. Could we keep loving others if it were not for God’s help and what He has done in loving us first – before we were even able to love Him?

What are your thoughts when you remember that God is the Source of all love, and that He chose to love you when you were unlovely and unloving?

It makes the tears run down one’s cheeks to think that we should have an interest in that decree and council of the Almighty Three, when every one that should be blood-bought had its name inscribed in God’s eternal book. Come, soul, I bid thee now exercise thy wings a little, and see if this does not make thee love God. He thought of thee before thou hadst a being. When as yet the sun and the moon were not, – when the sun, the moon, and the stars slept in the mind of God, like unborn forests in an acorn cup, when the old sea was not yet born, long ere this infant world lay in its swaddling bands of mist, then God had inscribed thy name upon the heart and upon the hands of Christ indelibly, to remain for ever. And does not this make thee love God?
~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

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“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:10-11)

Highlights magazine has a sort of comic strip storyline with two characters, brothers named “Goofus” and “Gallant.” In the story, Goofus and Gallant are always faced with choices about things – things like helping their mother, obeying a “No Swimming” sign, or what to do on a test when they do not know the correct answer.

Somehow, Gallant always chooses to do the noble, wise, and good thing. He helps his mom with a sweet attitude. He does not go swimming in the wrong zones. And he would never cheat on a test.

But Goofus always manages to get himself in trouble. How? Well, he always chooses the easy, fun, and foolish way out of any situation. If he has an opportunity to cheat on his test, he probably will think, “It’s just for this one time” or maybe “I already know the right answer; I just forget!” If he sees a “No Swimming” sign, he will tell himself that the sign is for little kids, or for really bad swimmers, or just against swimming at certain times of the day. Goofus is quick to think of reasons why what he wants to choose is also what he should choose. Then he goes swimming, against the sign, and gets hurt, or he cheats on his test and gets suspended from school.

When we are tempted to think like Goofus does about sin, it is called “rationalizing” or “justifying” ourselves. We want our decisions to be rational (to make sense), and we want them to be just (right and good). But we also want what we want! So we fool ourselves into thinking that sin is reasonable and makes sense. We talk ourselves into calling sin something other than “sin.” We want a way to make our wrong decisions be right!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – Jesus Justifies →

“Thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.” (Deuteronomy 13:18b)

Can you see any trees from where you are right now? Some trees are great for climbing. You can go up into the branches and sit for hours, reading a book or maybe just watching the people in your neighborhood. Maybe your elderly next-door neighbor is out in her garden inspecting her roses. Maybe you can spot the postal service car coming down the road, pausing every few seconds to put envelopes into each mailbox.

People are funny sometimes, when they do not know they are being watched. You are probably the same way. When you are alone, you probably behave a little differently than when lots of people are around. You just do whatever you feel like doing. Maybe on some Saturdays, you just stay in your pajamas all day and hang around inside the house. You might be embarrassed if someone outside your family were to see you, but it is just fine for you to make that choice, at least the way you see things.

The LORD is always watching us, though. We do not have to worry so much about pleasing other people, but we do need to remember that God can see everything, and He knows everything about us – including the thoughts of our hearts. If we really love God and want to please Him with our faith, we will not live our lives as though we think He is not watching us. God’s people listen to God’s voice, and they keep His commandments. They “do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD.”

Proverbs 12:15a says that “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes.” Have you ever caught yourself choosing to do something that breaks God’s commandments? Who were you pleasing when you made that choice? Was God watching you? Did you care? It is foolish to do only what we think is OK. What is right in our eyes is not always really right. Why? Because our spiritual “eyes” are limited. We have “blurry” vision, in a way. We are human, sinful, and selfish. We cannot get a clear picture of what is right (and we cannot be anything but fools) unless we choose instead to follow what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – What Is Right in the Eyes of the LORD →

“Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (for after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:30-33)

Meri sat on the bench at the mall, swinging her legs and watching the people go by. She loved “people-watching,” as her mom called it. Her mom sat next to her, sipping some soda and checking things off her list, so she wasn’t paying attention. But Meri couldn’t take her eyes off all the crowds of moving people – busy people, rich people, angry people, colorful people, laughing people, impatient people – all kinds of people!

Suddenly, Meri took in a quick breath and stopped swinging her legs. A teen-aged boy was walking by, but there was something wrong with him. His face was all flushed red and his eyes were squeezed tightly shut. It looked like he had been crying really hard, and like he might just start up again. He was holding an open cell phone, but it did not seem like he was talking to anyone.

Meri had never seen a boy cry, nevermind a boy walking around crying in a public mall. There are people everywhere in a shopping mall. There are hidden cameras. Meri wondered if someone had called the boy on his cell phone and given him some bad news. She pulled on her mom’s elbow to get her attention, but by then the boy was rounding the corner and going into the restrooms. Meri felt sorry about the boy. She wished she could have helped him feel better, but she didn’t know what to do or say that might have helped.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Sees Our Needs →

“This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.” (Isaiah 28:29)

Have you ever heard someone called a “workaholic”? What is a workaholic, anyway? It is a nickname given to people who work all the time. In the morning, all they can think about is working. At noontime, you have to remind them to eat lunch because they get so caught up in their work! And it is hard for them to go home and relax in the evenings, because all they seem to be able to think about is work. Work, work, work! Some people really do just love to work.

For most of us, though, work is not very lovable. When we think of fun things to do, working is not at the top of the “fun things to do” list. We are tempted to be lazy and stay away from work completely! We have to “work” to make ourselves even want to work!

God is not like us. He is not at all lazy, but He does not have to be a workaholic, either, in order to get done everything He gets done. God is sovereign. He is omnipotent (“om-NIH-po-tent,” all-powerful), omniscient (“om-NISH-ent,” all-knowing), and omnipresent (“om-nih-PREZ-ent,” all-present). So whatever He decides to do, He just does it, and He does it with the best possible quality! God’s works are all excellent. Deuteronomy 3:24 – “O LORD GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might.”

Because He is Who He is, the LORD’s works have to be excellent. He is God. Since Jesus is God, He did many wonderful works (including supernatural miracles) while He lived on Earth. And He did so many wonderful things that only a “few” of them could be fit into the Bible. The disciple John wrote, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” (see John 21:25).

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Is Excellent in Working →

“This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.” (Isaiah 28:29)

Isaiah 28 shows how even the jobs that seem most simple and natural are guided by God. The knowledge and strength and timing for a farmer’s sowing and reaping all come from God. He created seeds and sunlight and water. He invented the process for growing things out of the ground. God is omniscient (om-NISH-int), which means He is all-wise. He knows everything, from beginning to ending.

In the book of Exodus, when Moses explains how God helped the Israelites build the tabernacle, he writes that God gave the craftsmen the wisdom and skill they needed – they were aided by the “spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” Only Someone omniscient could do that!

And in 1 Kings 4, the Bible tells us that “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore” (1 Kings 4:29). “And all the earth sought Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart” (1 Kings 10:24). Any God Who could give that kind of wisdom to a human king must be infinitely wiser than any human!

The book of Job preaches truth to us in these words – “God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom” (Job 36:5). And when Daniel is able to give God’s interpretation of his king’s dream, he gives God the glory for helping him: “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his” (Daniel 2:20).

Do you need counsel (advice or help)? There is no better counselor than God. He knows what He is doing in the world and in your life. He knows what you are doing and what you will do. He knows everything. James 1:5 is an invitation to anyone who wants to have the kind of wisdom only God can give – “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

We can always count on God’s all-wise counsel.

My Response:

» Do I lean on my own understanding, or do I trust in the LORD with all my heart?

» What are some things in my life that would be good reasons to ask for counsel from God?

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“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:3-4)

Have you ever seen an evergreen tree? If you have seen a Christmas tree, or a cyprus tree, or a pine tree, or a cedar tree, then – yes! You have seen an evergreen tree! “Evergreen” trees are called that because they stay green throughout the year, even though other trees change with the changing seasons.

The Bible tells us many times that God is an everlasting Person with everlasting character traits. Like the word “evergreen,” the word “everlasting” has the idea of continuing on and on and on forever. But God is even longer-lasting than an evergreen tree. Even the oldest and strongest and greenest of trees had to have had a beginning. Trees have to grow out of seeds, and one day, they will die off or be cut down. God has always been – He had no beginning. And He always will be! He will never end.

Since God Himself is everlasting, everything about Him is everlasting, too. His grace and His mercy are everlasting. His incredible power is everlasting. And in the verses above (Isaiah 26:3-4), the prophet Isaiah teaches us that God’s strength is everlasting, too. Isaiah says that God IS everlasting strength. He would not be the LORD if He were not everlastingly strong!

Is your strength everlasting? No! No human being could say that he or she has everlasting strength. Even the healthiest and strongest of people eventually get tired or worn out. We have limitations because we have to sleep and eat and exercise in order to keep up our strength, and we can be injured or cut down by diseases. None of those things can limit God. He is almighty. He is all-powerful. And His might and power are everlasting.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Is Everlasting Strength →

“Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word…. Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words.” (Psalm 119:40-41, 57)

“If they would burn the Word of Christ, they would burn Christ.”

~ William Tyndale (1494–1536), language scholar and theologian

who was burned at the stake for translating the Bible

and for believing in justification by faith alone

Throughout history, there have been many people who fought the spread of God’s Word. There were people who thought it was wrong for the Word of God to be translated into a “common” language, or any other language but the original languages it was written in. Some religious leaders did not want the Bible to be readable, because their false teachings would be found out if people could check them by the Bible in their own languages.

Many years ago, a man named William Tyndale was overcome with a passion to see the Hebrew and Greek original Scriptures translated into English. His dream was that any common ploughboy (any farmer’s servant) would be able to read the Bible in his own language (English) instead of having to know Hebrew or Greek, or instead of having to listen to the Bible read in Latin. Tyndale was a skilled translator and wonderful writer, so his translations (some pieces of the New Testament that he translated) are quoted today even more than famous lines from Shakespeare’s plays are quoted!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God’s Word Is Precious →

“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God. The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.” (Psalm 18:30-31,46)

Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art.

I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.

Have you ever heard the song “Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting”? Like the psalmists in the Old Testament, we can sing songs about the heart of God. We can sing songs about His character traits and about His amazing works. What are some things about God’s goodness and greatness that you would think of as good reasons to sing?

In the song “Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting,” the writer is rejoicing that Jesus is Someone we can rest in, Someone whose loving heart is very great, Someone worthy of trust, and Someone Who gives joy. In King David’s psalm quoted above (Psalm 18), he rejoices that God’s way is perfect and that His Word has been tried (proven) to be steadfast. He describes God as a buckler (a safe place, a shelter, a fortress) for all who trust Him. More than once, David even calls the LORD a rock!

Do you know of anyone else like that? Anyone else whose ways are perfect? Anyone else who is a fortress for every single person who trusts in him? Anyone else who could be described as a rock? No one else is like that. Only God! That is why David says, “Who is God, save the LORD?” That means, “Who else could God possibly be, if He is not the LORD?”

People think different things are scary, and every child has his own set of fears. You might be afraid to get a shot at the doctor’s office, or maybe visiting a nursing home is scary for you. Maybe caves (or things that live in caves) make you afraid. Maybe you do not even like to cross the street!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is a Rock for His People →

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

If you like to play hide-and-seek, it is probably fun for you to think about hiding places. Maybe when you visit a new place or go to someone else’s house, you scout out all the best places to hide. If you’re good at finding hiding places, the “seeker” probably has to spend a long time looking for you. There may even have been times when you’ve hidden so well that he’s given up looking for you!

In Psalm 139, David was thinking about hiding places, but not because he wanted to play a game. He was thinking about how impossible it is to run away and hide from God. In the first part of the psalm, he wrote about God’s very personal knowledge of His creatures. He thought about how God knows every move we make, every word we say, and even the thoughts that go through our minds! When we think about a God who knows us so deeply and personally, we might feel like we want to get away and hide from Him – especially when we consider that we’re sinners and He is holy.

David considered several places he might go. Perhaps he could go up into the sky – even into outer space. Or maybe he could go to the world beyond the grave – the world where people go after they die. Perhaps he could go as far east as the sunrise, or to the farthest reaches of the sea. Do those sound like good hiding places? The problem is, none of those are places a person can hide from God. God’s presence fills the earth and the sky. He is there, no matter where we go, no matter how much we might want to run away from Him.

In verse 10, David thinks about the fact that God is loving. His gentle, strong hand is actually leading us when we try to run from Him, and wherever we end up, His hand takes hold of us there. We can never run away or hide from Him.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – We Cannot Run Away from God →

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

What does it mean when someone is not available? Maybe your mom has taught you to take a telephone message for her when she cannot come to the phone. She has probably told you to say something like this: “I’m sorry, but Mom is not available right now. May I please take a message?” When you tell someone that your mom is “not available,” it may mean that she is not at home, or it may mean that she is giving the dog a bath and is up to her elbows in soapy water. Whatever Mom is doing, the point is that the person trying to call her cannot reach her. The caller will have to wait or try again later.

Sometimes we cannot reach people when we need them. We get their answering machines or their voice mail messages when we try to call them. But God is never out of reach when we call on His name. The Bible tells us that He is “a very present help” – especially when we are in trouble. One translation of the Bible has this wording in the margin: “abundantly available for help.” When you go to God in prayer and ask Him for help, He is always available! In fact, He is very or abundantly available. He is ready, willing, and eager to help you. You must come in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). You also must not be hanging onto any sin that you are unwilling to confess when you come to Him (Psalm 66:18). But as long as you are coming in obedience to these conditions, you can come to Him for help any time at all.

What kind of trouble can God help you with? Maybe you have started attending a new school, church, or club, and maybe you’re finding it hard to make friends. God can help you reach out to others. Maybe you are upset because your brother or sister treated you unfairly. God can help you forgive and love in return. Maybe you are worried about a family member who is sick. God will listen to you and carry your burden for you so you don’t have to worry. Whatever your problem, nothing is too great or too small for God to care about and help you with. Don’t hesitate to come to Him and ask His help. He is always available to you.

God is always available to help us.

My Response:

» What problem do I need to take to God for His help?

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“See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:25-29)

Annie looked at the fire that Mr. Cook had built for their Sunday School class’s hot dog roast. She tried to get closer with her stick, but the fire was still too hot. She was hungry, and this was going to take a long time! It was a good ten minutes before the roaring fire had died down enough for Annie and her friends to get near enough to roast their hot dogs. When she finally squatted down nearby and stuck her hot dog over the hot embers, Annie glanced down at her shoes. The tips of her sneakers were a little bit melted! Wow!

Annie’s shoes were not fire-resistant. That means that they were not able to stand up against the heat of the fire. The toes of them were melted! It is a good thing that she stayed as far away from the fire as she did!

Did you know that God describes Himself in His Word as a consuming fire? “Consuming” means it burns up everything it touches and cannot be put out. That is pretty strong language to describe God, isn’t it? But it probably does not even come close to how powerful and glorious and holy God really is. Human language could never express everything that God is. But Hebrews 12:25-29 uses very strong words to describe Him – as the One “that speaketh from heaven,” and as Him “whose voice then shook the earth,” and “God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:25-29 starts out with “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.” That “him” there is referring to God, and the command is that we are not supposed to refuse Him and His Word. Why? Because this is the kind of God He is – the kind of God Who speaks from heaven, the kind of God Whose voice shakes the earth, and the kind of God Who is a “consuming fire.” No one can stand up to God and get away with it.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – We Should Not Resist God →

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

“You built all this, Dad?” It was her first time visiting the site of her dad’s latest contracting job, and Elise couldn’t help but be impressed.

“You bet,” said Dad. “The docks, the shed, the cabinets, the rails. Our company designed and built the whole marina, from start to finish!”

Elise tried to think of something that she had been a part of from start to finish. Well, she washed a whole sinkful of dishes all by herself last week! – but, then again, the sink was almost full of dirty dishes again by the next day! Had she ever invented something, or designed something brand new? Had she ever finished something once and for all? Hmmm. She wondered.

As her dad walked her around the marina, pointing out little details about the structural choices and telling stories about the construction process, the question kept coming up to Elise’s mind: Had she ever thought up a new idea and carried it out to the end? She couldn’t think of one thing.

Have you? Human beings are very talented and gifted in amazing ways, because God made us in His own image, with imagination and affections and intelligence and creativity. But even the most amazing individuals could never do what Jesus Christ did, both physically and spiritually. Jesus was and still is 100% God and 100% human. He is the only One Who could have “designed” and “built” and accomplished the greatest plan in the universe – the Gospel.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – Jesus Is the Author and Finisher of the Faith →

“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:5-7)

“Joey and Cam, let’s go! We need to head home.” Cam’s mom called, as she wiped ketchup and bits of french fries off of the baby’s fingers and face.

Cam heard her, but he and Joey really wanted to keep playing on the restaurant’s playground for a few more minutes, so they pretended not to hear her. They got “lost” deep inside the maze and climbed backwards up the slides instead of coming out on the ground near her table. Cam did not make eye contact with his mom, but he could hear his little sister starting to get fussy. He did not care. He wanted to keep on playing. So that’s what he and Joey did.

“Cam! Joey! Last call! We are leaving now!” Cam’s mom did not sound too happy.

When they finally got into the van, she turned to the boys and said, “What was that all about at the playground? I know you heard me call the first time. Were you deliberately disobeying?”

The boys looked at one another. Joey nodded slowly, and Cam said a very quiet “Yes, ma’am, we were.”

It was mostly silent in the van until after they had dropped Joey off at his house. Cam’s mom turned to him then and said, “You do realize I’ll have to punish you for deliberate disobedience, don’t you, Cameron?”

“But, Mom, I thought you were done being mad. You didn’t say anything else to Joey!”

“Cam, I don’t have to say anything else to Joey. (Although I am thinking about talking it over with his mom later on.)”

“No fair! Joey did the same thing I did! It might’ve even been his idea! – I don’t even remember exactly, but it probably was Joey’s idea!”

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Chastens His Children →