Kids of the King, Arise!

Compassion knows no age

Helping the homeless stay clean

Aidan Robillard hasn’t heard of Hannah Taylor yet, but he’s bound to meet her if he keeps up his work on behalf of the homeless.

The bubbly, five-year-old Winnipegger donated more than 120 toothbrushes, 105 tubes of toothpaste and dozens of bars of soap to Siloam Mission on Tuesday, becoming possibly the youngest person to donate to the downtown Christian humanitarian agency.

He got the idea about six weeks ago after his mom, Jodi, dropped off some extra blankets at Siloam Mission. He asked why they were giving away blankets and who was getting them, and the conversation progressed to a discussion of how some people aren’t fortunate enough to live in a home.

“We got to talking about some of the things he has and others don’t and he was quite surprised to hear some people didn’t have toothbrushes and toothpaste. A half-hour later, he came out of his room with his piggy bank and asked if we could go buy some for the people that didn’t have any,” Jodi said.

It wasn’t long before his quest branched out to others — his grandparents, the other kids at Rainbow Day Nursery and members of his mom’s singing group, the Women of Note Choir.

His 16 classmates even took a field trip to a dollar store and spent a toonie each on various items of dental hygiene for Aidan’s collection. (Many of them were adorned with paper cut-out calling cards.) He handed over his haul to Siloam in a trio of boxes, one of which he painted himself and adorned with stickers from the animated movie Cars.

Aidan is the same age Taylor was when the now 12-year-old first saw a homeless man digging through a dumpster in downtown Winnipeg. Since then, her Ladybug Foundation has raised more than $1 million for the homeless.

“If you don’t brush your teeth, your teeth will get brown and they can fall out. Then you can’t eat and you have to suck baby food,” Aidan said, while his eight-month-old sister, Mackenzie, looked on from her car seat.

By: Geoff Kirbyson, Winnipeg Free Press

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.

One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

The Other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The Old Cherokee simply replied, “the one you feed.”

A man by the name of Chuck Pierce sent out a weeks worth of prayer ideas today. The title was “7 days to change your brain.” Hmmm interesting. Below is an adapted version for you to follow.

Day 1: Read, meditate on, and memorize Isaiah 26:3-5:

“People with their minds set on you, (GOD) you keep completely whole and steady on their feet because they keep at it and don’t quit.” (The Message)

Do you have a hard time staying focused? Is there one area in your life that is keeping you from becoming whole? (being at peace and whole is the same thing) Is there an area you really struggle with, like in the bad wolf?

Day 2: Read, Philippians 4:4-9:

“Rejoice in union with the Lord always! I will say it again: rejoice! Let everyone see how reasonable and gentle you are. The Lord is near! Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua.

“In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy. Keep doing what you have learned and received from me, what you have heard and seen me doing; then the God who gives shalom will be with you.” (Complete Jewish Bible)

Are you full of joy? Do you show the fruit of gentleness? Do you feel God’s nearness? Are you Thankful?

Write out the scripture above either as it is written there or from your own Bible and tack it in a place so that you will see it first thing in the morning when you wake up as a reminder. In a little while you will have it memorized too.

Day 3: Read, meditate on and memorize Joshua 1:7-9:

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is My command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (New Living Translation)

Do you live in a way that brings joy to God’s heart? Do you feel like you are on track right now or are there things you need to stop doing or start to do?

Day 4: Read, meditate on and memorize Psalm 1:1-3:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.“ (New King James Version)

Who are your best buddies? Who or what influences you the most? Are you allowing your mind to go back to things that God has spoken to you from the Bible during the day?

Day 5: Read, meditate on and memorize Proverbs 3:1-10 (Amplified Bible):

“MY son/daughter, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of a life (worth living) and peace (inward and outward and continuing through old age till death), these shall they add to you. Let not mercy and kindness (shutting out all hatred and selfishness) and truth (shutting out all deliberate lies) forsake you; …

“So shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight of God and man.”

“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn (entirely) away from evil.”

Do you rely on your own way of thinking or do you wait for the Lord to show you the ONE THING that will change everything?

Day 6: Read, meditate on and memorize Psalm 27:1, 3, 14:

“The LORD is my light and the one who saves me. I fear no one. The LORD protects my life…I am afraid of no one. If an army surrounds me, I will not be afraid. If war breaks out, I will trust the LORD.” (New Century Version)

“Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.” (Amplified Bible)

What is the number one fear in your life? Do you feel more hope and faith when you read your Bible? Are you expecting and trusting the Lord help you with your fear and see a way out and new way of thinking?

Day 7: Read, meditate on and memorize Romans 12:1-2:

“I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of (all) the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies (presenting all your members and faculties) as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.

“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), (fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs), but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude), so that you may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you).” (Amplified Bible)

Do you have a part of your body that refuses to submit and become holy? For example Do you have a hard time pulling your eyes away from a T.V. program that is violent and not something you would watch if Jesus sat beside you? It this program shaping the way you think? What are some other examples? Make a descision today to present your body totally to the Lord.

When Louis was a young boy he was a very sensitive caring young boy with a passionate spirit and zero tolerance for bullying. “noting irritated him as much as an abuse of strength against the week” one of his friends commented.

He also spent much time in prayer and fasting and in his journal wrote: ‘fasting and prayer are the two great keys to success in time and eternity…nothing can resist fasting when it is done with humility, and sincerity. Fasting opens prisons and releases the most hardened criminals…three or four days of fasting can accomplish more than an army on a field of battle.”

He stood up for the rights of the Metis and woke up the sleepy nation of Canada at that time. He also championed the French and Indian people during a time of hunger because of poor crops. He successfully forced Prime Minister Macdonald to recognize Metis land rights and to accept Manitoba into Confederation as a full province. On May 12 1870 the Manitoba act was passed based on the Metis ‘list of rights’ by the Canadian Government.

At church Louis sometimes was overcome with weeping and deep sadness and sometimes with intense joy. He tired to hold it in but said “my pain is sometimes as great as my joy” as he prayed for the things God placed on his heart. He said. “My life belongs to God. Let Him do with it as He wishes.“

However as time went on not all believed in his cause. The English who had a large vested interest in the province saw things differently and when one of their members, Scott was executed, Louis was forced to flee as he had not stood up to prevent the execution. He was on the run for 15 years but at the request of the French, Indian.and Metis peoples came back.

When he came back he was arrested by the English as a traitor and after a few months hanged.
Before he died he wrote this in his diary “ Jesus, author of life! Sustain us in all the battles of this life and on our last day, give us eternal life. Jesus give me your grace to really know your beauty! Grant me the grace to really love you. Jesus, grant me the grace to know how beautiful you are.“

Thus lived and died a man whom we acknowledge today as the founder of the Province of Manitoba and defender of the rights of the Métis and of French Canadians

If you want to read more on the biography of Louis Riel go to
http://www.shsb.mb.ca/Riel/indexenglish.htm

• What does Louis say is a key to success?

• What unlocks prison doors? Is there a story in the Bible that would agree with that? (look up Acts 12)

• Do you know someone else who wept over a city? Check out Luke 13:34

• Is there a way that you can stand up for what is right today? Is someone in your class at school or home being bullied or picked on? Ask Jesus to open your eyes to injustice and then ask Him what he would have you do. When He does, DO IT and ACT.

Have you come to a place in your walk with Jesus where you can say:

“My life belongs to God. Let Him do with it as He wishes”?

If not would you like to?
Just pray and tell Jesus something like this:

“Lord I really want to make a difference for you in the world today. Today I give my life to you and ask you to lead me to what ever you have placed me on earth to to for you. I want to be totally obedient to you from this day on. As You only did what you saw the Father do, I want to do only the kind of things you do. Let me feel the pain you feel for a lost world and help me make a difference no matter what” Amen

Let us join in the Prayer that Louis penned this week:

Jesus, author of life! Keep us strong in all the troubles we face in this life and on our last day, give us eternal life. Jesus give me your grace to really know your beauty today! Grant me the grace to really love you. Jesus, grant me the grace to know how beautiful you are.“

* Quotes taken from the book “Stand On Guard” By Fayteene Kryskow

What Do You See?

I have a question for you today–I believe it’s a question God is asking you. God actually asked Jeremiah this same question I am going to ask you. Ready?

First, a little background. Remember that at the beginning of Jeremiah’s ministry, he didn’t exactly have a great established ministry. I mean, he wasn’t running around Israel speaking at big conferences and doing seminars. He was a kid, really. Well, a teenager, anyway.

When God first talked to Jeremiah about his calling to preach, He said, “Jeremiah, you know I called you before you were born and ordained you to be a prophet to the nations.” Well, Jeremiah freaked out. He heard this before–after all, his dad was a preacher. But, you know, in your mind it’s always, “Sometime down the road, when I am more mature.”

Jeremiah answered the Lord and said, “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m just a kid, don’t ask me. I can’t do anything.” Now, I know this is the Walters Translation, but go read it–that’s what it says. If you want the King James Version, Jeremiah said, “Then said I, ‘Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child’” (Jeremiah 1:6). But, you know people didn’t speak in King James English then, just like we don’t do that today.

God ignored Jeremiah’s vision of himself as a useless kid. He said, “Don’t say that, because I have put My word in your mouth.” Then God gave him a pretty heavy-duty commission right there. Did He say, “Now, Jeremiah, go off to Bible school and study hard. One day you will mature enough to qualify to be used in the ministry”? No, no! Out of the blue, God said to the teenager, “Oh yes, I’ve called you to go to the nations; in fact, I’ve set you OVER nations and OVER kingdoms” (kingdoms usually include several or many countries). “You can pull down and uproot stuff and all kinds of powerful things.” He told Jeremiah not to be afraid of their faces; He said, “I’ll be there for you.” When it says the face (or eyes) are a mirror of the soul, let me tell you, it really is.

Without even stopping to ask if Jeremiah was okay about it all, God suddenly said, “Well, what do you see, Jeremiah?” Jeremiah’s dad was a priest, so he was used to God stuff–but not at that moment. God said, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” Jeremiah had to get into faith, quick. That is, you have to see by faith. Young Jeremiah had a vision, “I see a rod of an almond tree.”

Aaron’s rod was made from the branch of an almond tree, and in Hebrew it means “an awakening one.” Jeremiah was seeing his destiny in his faith (but he didn’t realize it yet). He was called to be an “awakening one.” God told him to prophesy and challenge the people of Israel about their calling and destiny. God told him to go and wake them up. Personally, I would have asked God to send someone else and pleaded ignorance. Well, he tried that anyway–but it didn’t work.

You know what? Often people don’t like to be woken up. Not too many people are woken out of a slumber and get up in a good mood. You are mostly unhappy with the cause of the “awakening.” “An Awakening One” was a good name for Jeremiah. “Mr. Popularity” wasn’t exactly a good description of him.

So then…this is my question from the Lord to you: “What do you see?” I am not talking about the natural realm.

Take some time to chill out–take a break, go out for a nice meal, relax, take a couple of days–then go sit at the feet of Jesus. “Snuggle, don’t struggle,” is one of my favorite sayings, or, “Nestle, don’t wrestle.” Then get into rest and ask the Holy Spirit to show you what He sees for YOU. Not for your town. Not for your church. Not even for your friends or mom or dad-but for you personally. Your vision has to start with you, doesn’t it? If you don’t have a real vision for yourself, then you won’t be able to believe with someone else for their vision.

The Thing About Vision

Do you remember those old TV sets? They had a tube, and when they got old, the tube would start to go. Do you remember what happened when the tube was going out? The picture would gradually get smaller and smaller. No one wanted to buy a new tube because it was expensive, so you waited until the last minute. You were leaning over sideways to see the wide but shrunken picture.

So what are you seeing? Most people are seeing a shrunken picture. My husband, David, says, “Most Christians aim at nothing and hit it.” You can only aim at what you see. If you see a small call or a small destiny or a small vision, that’s all you will aim for.

My challenge for you is this: See what God sees for YOU. He has a great vision–He has a big vision! We see our town, our family, or our little place. But God sees nations, God sees a place without walls. God has no limitations in His vision. He sees no limits for you–you can have what you believe and you can believe what you see–IF you can see by faith. You have God’s faith in you–believe it! Because “…to every man is given the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).

What Is Your Adventure?

The Bible says that the will of God is delightful, “I delight to do Thy will, Oh my God” (Psalm 40:8).

God puts His desires in your heart. In other words, He puts His desires in your heart so that when you do according to your heart, it’s delightful, it’s wonderful, it’s full of adventure and it’s full of God. All you have to do is allow the Holy Spirit to show you what He sees for YOU. You have a wonderful, awesome, big and great destiny to fulfill.

If you are doing something tonight in the way of serving God and it’s not delightful, forget it–it’s just works. And, sorry to say, God is not interested in your works, He’s interested in His works. He is not going to anoint your works, He anoints His works. (Jesus himself only did what he saw the Father doing remember? ) The glory of God will never come on what you do–the glory comes on what He does. It’s not trying, it’s yielding to the anointing.

Isn’t it easier to yield rather than to try and strive and work at it? Trying can be very trying. God is not running around your city trying to recruit workers for the Kingdom, He is just wanting His sons and daughters to rise up and be who He called them to be. You are royalty, an heir of righteousness and an heir of the Kingdom. You don’t have to earn it, you can’t qualify for it–Jesus gave you this inheritance, freely. He paid for it 100% when He died and rose again.

But First, Enjoy Him

I nearly forgot to remind you–your first calling is to enjoy God. He called you to first enjoy Him. Don’t go out and serve Him unless you enjoy Him. Do you know Jesus is in love with you? He totally adores you–He doesn’t just tolerate you. He made you of His divine nature–eternity is in you. He has given you His power and righteousness and clothed you with the beautiful garments of Salvation.

This is a new and living way–walk in it and begin to see what HE sees for YOU.

Kathie Walters

Sermon on the Mount: Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

To Remember: Not everyone who claims to teach the truth really does

Vocabulary
False Prophet - Someone who claims to teach God’s Word, but who teaches something wrong or less than the whole truth Lesson - Matt 7:15-23 NIV

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Some people are like wolves who pretend to be sheep. They act and dress like the sheep, only to destroy the lambs once they are among them.

Jesus said that we can figure out which sheep are true sheep, and which are wolves. He said we’ll know, because even if a wolf is dressed like a sheep, it acts like a wolf. A wolf can’t baaa like a sheep, it can’t chew cud like a sheep, it can’t eat grass, or even smell like a sheep. Jesus said that a wolf can try to look like a sheep, but you can tell it apart by its actions.

WHICH ONE IS THE WOLF?
Jesus also compared people like this to trees. If a tree has apples on it, what kind of tree is it? An apple tree! Will an apple tree ever grow pears? No - that’s what a pear tree is for. Jesus said our actions are like fruit. If a man lies, he is a liar, no matter how often he says he isn’t. A man can say he is a Christian, but if he doesn’t act like a Christian, then you know he is false.

In fact, Jesus said there would people on judgment day that would claim that they had done great things for Jesus, and he would say: “I never knew you, depart from me, you who work iniquity.” In other words, not only had they not done what Jesus wanted, they had done evil instead. These people may have thought they were pleasing God, but in fact they weren’t. How do we find out what will please God? By reading the Bible.

Song along “This little light of mine”

Activity: Matching game. Use two pictures of trees, a twisted, dead and black tree labeled Bad Fruit and a living, healthy, leafy tree labeled Good Fruit. On pictures of fruit, list good and bad traits. Mix up the fruit and have students sort them accordingly.

Describe several situations and have students decide whether a person who does this is a sheep or a sheep in wolves clothing. (You can give each student a picture of each to hold up, post a picture of each and have students stand before the appropriate character, or have students place tokens on the character on the table.)

• Someone who cheats on a test. (wolf)
• Someone who is polite to everyone. (sheep)
• Someone who is only polite to people she wants to impress. (wolf)
• Someone who admits when he is wrong. (sheep)
• Someone who is difficult to upset. (sheep)
• Someone who blames others for her mistakes. (wolf)
• Someone who exaggerates. (wolf)

True or False

1. God knows who is true and who is false. T
2. We can know who is true and who is false. T
3. A wolf can smell like a sheep. F
4. An apple tree can grow pears. F
5. Our actions are our fruit. T
6. If someone does evil things, he can still be a good person. F
7. God will judge us by our actions. T

Memory Work Matthew 7:21″Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. NIV

Review Questions

1)What does the wolf represent?
2)What are some good “fruits” we can grow in our lives?

3) How does Jesus feel about the wolves among his sheep?
4) Describe how a person (sheep) feels when it discovers that the person it believed in is actually evil (a wolf)?
5) Are we supposed to be on the look out for those that would deceive us?
6) How can we tell if someone believes in Jesus? (if the act like Jesus)

* Adapted from www.ebibleteacher.com used with permission
Check out the blog entry on Nov. 10th that ties in with this teaching.