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Monday Morning Prophecy #18 – The Messiah Would Come From the Lineage of Isaac

August 24, 2009 in Come Ye' Children with 0 Comments

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Last week, we looked at the prophecies in the Old Testament indicating that the Messiah would come from the lineage of Abraham.  This week, we will eliminate one-half of the lineage of Abraham from the pool of potential ancestors of the Christ as we examine the prophecies that the Messiah would come from the line of Isaac.

For those of you not familiar with the story of Abraham – God appeared to Abraham when he and his wife were very old to tell him that he would have a son and that the whole world would be blessed through that son.

God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. [Genesis 17:19]

Eventually, Sarah decided that God needed some help with his promise and gave her maidservant Hagar to Abraham to bear him a son.  Abraham did indeed have a son by Hagar, and he named the child Ishmael.

Thirteen years later, God again appeared to Abraham to tell him that Sarah would bear him a son, and God would establish his covenant through that son:

But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.  [Genesis 21:12]

God is clear that it would be through Isaac, and not through Ishmael, that he would fulfill the promises made to Abraham.  Later, God appeared to Isaac to confirm to him what he had already told his father Abraham:

Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”  [Genesis 26:1-5]

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Of Such Is The Kingdom of Heaven (Synopsis of Come Ye' Children – Chapter 5)

August 21, 2009 in Come Ye' Children with 4 Comments

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In this chapter, Spurgeon tackles three of the most often asked questions when it comes to children and the kingdom of God.  They are:

  1. When Jesus says of children that the kingdom “belongs to such as these,” what does he mean?
  2. At what age can a child be saved?
  3. Do babies who die go to heaven?

That’s not a bad lineup of questions for one short chapter, so let’s get started!

1. When Jesus says of children that the kingdom “belongs to such as these,” what does he mean?

In Luke 18:16, Jesus says:

But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” [Luke 18:16]

Some argue that Jesus is speaking figuratively in these verses and is in essence saying, “in order for adults to be saved, they must have faith like a child.”  He may indeed be implying that with this statement, but the clear and simple reading of the text is that there are children in the kingdom of heaven.  Indeed, not only are they there, but “to such belongs the kingdom of God.”  Spurgeon explains:

“There are children in all kingdoms, and there are children in Christ’s kingdom; and I am not certain that John Newton was not right when he said that the majority of persons who are now in the kingdom of God are children. When I think of all the multitudes of babes that have died, who are now swarming in the streets of heaven, it does seem to me to be a blessed thought that albeit generation after generation of adults have passed away in unbelief and rebellion, yet enormous multitudes of children have gone streaming up to heaven…They give tone and character to the kingdom; it is rather a kingdom of children than of men.”

In the following verse, Jesus explains that we gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven simply by receiving it.  It is by no work of our own:

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” [Luke 18:17]

Spurgeon further explains:

“Now, if this entrance into the kingdom depended upon something to be fetched out of the human mind by study and deep thought, then very few children could ever enter it; but it depends upon something to be received, and therefore children may enter.”

Indeed if entrance into the kingdom of heaven required human intellect or deep thought, very few children and very few adults would be qualified to enter.  Rather, entering the kingdom of God is based simply on receiving the free gift of Christ’s death on the cross.

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The Children's Shepherd (Synopsis of Come Ye' Children – Chapter 4)

August 14, 2009 in Come Ye' Children with 1 Comment

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In this chapter, Spurgeon examines several personality characteristics and qualities necessary in a successful worker in Children’s Ministry worker. He does this loosely based on the life and characteristics of the apostle Peter.  By my count, he lays out 13 different characteristics and qualities needed to succeed in Children’s Ministry.  Let’s have a look at each one.

1. A WARM HEART

First, and perhaps foremost, working with kids requires a warm heart.  Kids are instinctive creatures, and they are instinctively drawn to those people whom they sense have a true affection for them.  Kids will sense if you are not comfortable with them, and they will not be comfortable with you.

Spurgeon explains:

“Children delight to gather round a fire, whether it be on the hearth or in the heart. Certain persons appear to be made of ice, and from these children speedily shrink away: congregations or classes grow smaller every Sunday when cold-blooded creatures preside over them. But when a man or a woman has a kindly heart, the children seem to gather readily, just as flies in autumn days swarm on a warm, sunny wall.”

Spurgeon notes that Peter had a warm heart and personality.  What kid wouldn’t be drawn to a full grown man willing to jump out of a boat fully clothed?  As workers in Children’s Ministry, we must long to have and demonstrate a warm heart towards the children we are teaching.  We must relate to them, play with them and enjoy life alongside them.

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The Disciples and the Mothers (Synopsis of Come Ye’ Children – Chapter 3)

August 7, 2009 in Come Ye' Children with 3 Comments

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Chapter 3 – The Disciples and the Mothers

This chapter continues to build on the verse introduced in the last chapter:

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.  [Mark 10:13-16]

Spurgeon starts Chapter 3 with a probing question for his readers related to children:

“Have we laid ourselves out for the conversion of children, as much as we have done for the conversion of grown-up-folks?”

When you think of evangelism and sharing the gospel, does the thought of children ever enter your mind?  If you are a parents, do you think of your relationship to them as a parent as one of evangelism and discipleship?  Or, do you feel like the best thing for kids is simply to impart them with a lot of knowledge so that when they grow up, they can become part of God’s family?

When the disciples rebuked the mother’s for bringing their children to Jesus, they clearly felt that Jesus had more important work to do than to deal with Children.  Likewise, many people in the church today feel there are more important things to do, and more important places to put their resources, than in the evangelism and discipleship of children.

Spurgeon is clear in addressing those who may feel that working with children is not part of Jesus’ plan:

“Jesus will not be dishonoured by the children: we have far more cause to fear the adults.”

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Do Not Hinder the Children (Synopsis of Come Ye’ Children – Chapter 2)

July 31, 2009 in Come Ye' Children with 2 Comments

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In the last chapter, we looked Jesus’ command to feed his sheep, a child’s profession of faith, what kids should be taught and the rewards of teach children.  Now we find ourselves at

Chapter 2 – Do Not Hinder the Children

Part 1 – The Christian Education of Children

In the first portion of the chapter, Spurgeon addresses the issue of the Christian education of children head on.  As regards the church, Spurgeon reminds his readers that preaching and teaching in such a way as to be understood by children is a badge which we should wear proudly.  He explains:

“I think nothing greater than to win the hearts of the lowly. So with regard to children. People occasionally say of such a one, “He is only fit to teach children: he is no preacher.” I tell you, in God’s sight he is no preacher who does not care for the children.”

Spurgeon contends that pastors should include something in every sermon for kids.  This is obviously not as big an issue today with the advent of Childrens’ Ministry.  However, the point is the same.  Churches should be sure that they focus on kids just as much as they focus on adults.

Likewise, parents who hold the ultimate responsibility for the spiritual development of their kids must pay close attention to where and how their kids are educated.  The spiritual education of our children should be a paramount concern, and they should be taught the things of God from a very early age.  Spurgeon explains,

“As we sow we reap. Let us expect our children to know the Lord. Let us from the beginning mingle the name of Jesus with their A B C. Let them read their first lessons from the Bible. It is a remarkable thing that there is no book from which children learn to read so quickly as from the New Testament: there is a charm about that book which draws forth the infant mind. But let us never be guilty, as parents, of forgetting the religious training of our children; for if we do we may be guilty of the blood of their souls.”

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Feed My Lambs (Synopsis of Come Ye' Children – Chapter 1)

July 10, 2009 in Come Ye' Children with 1 Comment

chs-grayBrief Background on Spurgeon

Charles H. Spurgeon lived from 1834 through 1892 and is known as “The Prince of Preachers.”  He was the pastor at New Park Street Chapel in London for 38 years beginning in April 1854 at age tender age of 19.  A prolific writer and preacher, Mr. Spurgeon authored over 3,500 sermons, numerous books, letters, and much more.   He is most well known for his voluminous sermons, his commentary on the Psalms called “A Treasury of David” and his Mornings and Evenings Devotionals.  Mr. Spurgeon was a master teacher, and he held a special place in his heart for children.  He built an orphanage for boys and girls, promoted the teaching of God’s Word to young children, and generally held children in rather high esteem for his day and age.

At some point in his preaching career, Mr. Spurgeon wrote a small book titled “Come Ye’ Children” named after the well known scripture from Psalm 34:11.  The book is subtitled “A Book for Parents and Teachers on the Christian Training of Children” and is recognized as one of the most valuable books ever written on the subject the Christian training of Children.  It has been used in seminaries since Spurgeon penned it for instructing students on the conversion of children.

Over the next twenty-plus weeks, we will look in depth at this gem handed down to us from the “Prince of Preachers.”  We will see that, although written over 100 years ago, Mr. Spurgeon offers timeless truths and practical ideas for teaching kids about Christ gleaned from the Word of God.  I hope that through this rather detailed synopsis, a whole new generation of Children’s Pastors and Children’s Ministry workers will benefit from the biblical wisdom Pastor Spurgeon offers in this work over 100 years ago.  I am passionate about working with children, and I have included many editorial comments in this synopsis which support or, hopefully, expand on Mr. Spurgeon’s original words.  I have included a link at the bottom of each post to the original text for each chapter.  I hope that will help you to distinguish between my thoughts and those offered by Mr. Spurgeon.  With that said, let’s get started with Chapter 1!

Chapter 1 – “Feed My Lambs” – How to Do It

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Best Devotional Book for Kids

July 3, 2009 in Kidmin Resources, Other Books with 1 Comment

Growing With JesusI don’t recommend things lightly on this blog, but I was at my local Lifeway store last night looking through the Children’s Devotional section, and I was reminded of the best such book I have ever read with my kids.  The name of the book is Growing With Jesus by Andy Holmes.  I found the book quite by accident.  I ordered it from one of those fund raisers that comes home from school with the kids without ever having seen the inside.  That is a bit of a scary prospect when it comes to any so called “Christian Literature” especially of the Kid’s variety because you never know what you’re going to get!

Fortunately, this book did not disappoint, and I comend it to any parent or Children’s Ministry worker to read with their kids.  From Devotion #1 – “You’re God’s Special Project” to Devotion #100 – “Jesus is Coming Back,” this book affirms, eddifies, teaches and challenges kids and the adults reading with them.  Each devotional offer a Bible Verse, Thoughts to Grow On which explores the verse, Today which offers the kids actions they can take today related to the devotional, and My Amazing World which gives the kids an interesting factoid.  Each devotional is two pages and includes illustrations which keep the kids interest.  For example, my kids were constantly looking for the devotionals with the pictures from the front cover!  Last time we read through this book, my kids were 6 and 4.  We are starting in again this week, they are now 8, 6 and almost 2.  They love the book, and the devotions spark even deeper conversations.   As a parent I love that they love the book, and I find myself learning from it as well.

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