“Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,
and for their children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
RealChristianWomen.blog
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“How joyful are those who fear the Lord
and delight in obeying his commands.
Their children will be successful everywhere;
an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.” Psalm 112:1-2 NLT
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
RealChristianWomen.blog
The following quote was not made to get a chuckle based on obvious things we all know about children but based on the psychiatric examination of convicted murderers who experienced abuse in childhood.
Children need love, especially when they don’t deserve it.”
Harold S. Hubert
Hulbert, a leading psychiatric expert witness of his time and a child psychiatrist, knew the potential magnitude of the effects of being a child unloved. He testified in the murder trials of men affected by such abuse.
So, what does this mean to us? One doesn’t have to go far to find children who need love. The foster care system in America is overflowing with abandoned children who need love.
Over 390,000 children are in foster care. 25% of these children will attempt suicide.
For the 23,000 young adults who age out of foster care each year,
Poverty creates hungry children that need love. Drug abuse produces neglected children who need love.
According to the National Institute of Children’s Health Quality, Over 20,000 babies are born each year dependent on illegal or prescription drugs and suffer neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a type of opiate withdrawal. That’s the equivalent of one baby born every 25 minutes with drug addiction.
To find opportunities to cuddle drug-addicted babies, google “Cuddle drug-addicted babies”.
Children who need love are in our towns and in our schools. These children may not be in your neighborhood, but they aren’t far away.
Jesus said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:10 NIV
Is the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart? What is God asking you to do? More than likely, it is something small. Help in your Vacation Bible School? Teach in your Mission Church? Volunteer in a local school as a mentor, or in a hospital for drug babies? Volunteer for CASA? Give a small amount of money to a worthy cause?
Whatever you do, don’t close your eyes to the desperate need all around us.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress …” James 1:27a
There are many ways you can give God’s love to children. All you have to do is ask Him to show you. And remember this:
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
RealChristianWomen.blog
“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:37 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Amevi Wisdom on Unsplash
RealChristianWomen.blog
Did you ever stop to think about how effortlessly children can memorize? Ask any toddler the names of the Paw Patrol Dogs or the members of Peppa Pig’s family. They know it all!
Annie at Seeking Divine Perspective commented that she can have trouble remembering Scripture she memorized as an adult, but she can easily spout off the ones she learned as a child. That has been my experience as well. I memorized the 23rd Psalm as a child and I’ve never forgotten it. (That was more than 60 years ago!)
My daughter, who is now 35, can recite many Scriptures she memorized as a child. (She also knows the whole movie, The Little Mermaid! But that’s another story!)
She told me that the thing that stands out to her the most are all the Bible songs she learned and the Christian TV shows for children such as Storybook (still available on Youtube). Many of those songs are Scripture verses and/or foundational truths. For example, Jesus Loves Me, The B-I-B-L-E, and many more.
Here’s the thing: If children have the ability to memorize easily and then remember it into adulthood, why aren’t we taking advantage of it?
Some Children’s Sunday School curriculum seems more interested in entertaining children than teaching them what they need to know. Some curriculum doesn’t include Scripture memorization at all.
Memorizing Bible verses can seem old-fashioned to some, but it is more important than ever. And it can be a lot of fun when you add hand motions or sing the verse. What is “normal” in today’s world is becoming more and more contrary to Biblical teaching. Memorizing Scripture hides God’s Truth in our hearts.
God has clearly said how important it is to teach our children His Word.
“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your foreheads as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
I have been reading through Proverbs and I thought, “I wish I would have memorized some of these Proverbs before I left home at 17 to attend college. Perhaps then, the Holy Spirit would have brought some of these verses to my mind before I made poor decisions.” Proverbs 2:12-15 stands out.
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.”
Memorizing Scripture enables us to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Many times, God has spoken to me by bringing a specific Scripture to my mind.
The Holy Spirit has even used a Children’s Bible Song that I learned as a child to speak to my heart. In fact, that’s how my blog all began. As I lay in bed with Mononucleosis, I couldn’t get this little song out of my head:
This little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine! Hide it under a bushel? No! I'm gonna let it shine.
That’s when I thought, “I’m a closet Christian!” I realized I never shared all the things God had done for me. And the idea to write a blog was born! You can read about it here.
More Scripture on Teaching Children
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Speaking of God’s words, Deuteronomy 11:19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
Matthew 18:5-6 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
Psalm 78:2-4 for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past— stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.
The world is teaching our children many harmful ideas. May the Lord help us teach our children His ways. May He help us to protect their hearts and minds.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
RealChristianWomen.blog
“Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.” Psalm 127:3-4 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash
RealChristianWomen.blog
The world (and our children) are being brainwashed like never before. In an attempt to normalize homosexuality, TV and even commercials show men kissing men and other sinful behaviors. And it isn’t subtle! It’s right in your face!
Libraries are bringing in drag queens to entertain little children.
I’m amazed at how easily our culture has been completely changed, virtually overnight. And for our youth, this is all they’ve ever seen on TV, in commercials, and even in cartoons.
In some schools, transgenderism is being promoted and even encouraged. This is outrageous!
Militant transgender advocates are imposing their agenda with uncompromising zeal on schoolchildren.
That’s fine with President Joe Biden. His administration announced this month that by April, it will enhance the legal entitlements of transgender public-school students, with new guarantees regarding access to bathrooms, locker rooms and sports competitions.
These issues grab the headlines, but they’re less harmful to most students than the damage being done by the distortion of the school curriculum. From the youngest age, students are being brainwashed with gender ideology.
Children — as young as 5 — are being encouraged to disregard their anatomy and choose their gender based on their feelings.”
New York Times, April 17, 2023
At least for people my age, we know it hasn’t always been this way. That’s why training our children according to God’s Word is so vitally important.
Christian parents must teach their children that God loves the sinner. He died to wash away our sins because He loved us so much. But that does not mean we should allow them to be brainwashed into thinking that what God calls sin is to be accepted as normal behavior.
Some parents are sending their children to a Christian school. Some are homeschooled. Some parents have removed television access. Individual parents must decide what course of action to take.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7
“Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” Deuteronomy 5:29
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
As Christian parents, we must teach our children according to God’s Word. In this day and age, it will not be easy. It will require us to honestly evaluate the situation we find ourselves in and take action to protect our children.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash
RealChristianWomen.blog
“Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3 NLT
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
RealChristianWomen.blog
3 Minutes
There may be children in your church who will accept Jesus as their Savior only because they went to Sunday School and had a teacher who told them about Jesus and prayed for them faithfully.
Have you ever participated in a Baby Dedication at church? Did you make a commitment, along with the parents, to raise this child up according to the Word of the Lord. One way we can keep this promise is by serving in Children’s Ministry and Youth Ministry where needed.
It takes a lot of caring Christians to properly support the children who come to your church. I’ve been praying for God to send more Sunday School teachers and nursery workers. There never seems to be enough. Do you find this to be true in your local church?
When you consider the words of Jesus, you have to wonder why we don’t have enough workers. After all, it is a privilege to serve the Lord in this way and it honors God. To welcome a little child is to welcome Jesus and the Father.
“An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” Luke 9:46-48 NIV Read full chapter
Jesus makes it clear that children are important to Him. We must take care of them and teach them about our Lord.
” … whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28 NIV (emphasis mine)
There is always an opportunity to serve in Children’s Ministry.
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10 NIV
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:10 NIV
I am thankful for the Sunday School teachers that taught me about Jesus. And I am thankful for those who serve our Lord in this way today.
This morning, as I walked my little dog Henry in the warm sunshine, a large flock of geese flew overhead in a perfect V formation. I watched as the birds took turns flying at the point. It reminded me of how we must take turns serving in our churches, not allowing the same people to do it all week after week.
Is God calling you to serve?
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?
realchristianwomen.blog
If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God.
Dwight L. Moody
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by bill wegener on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
Real Christian Women 