Toys

I looked through the Bible recently to see if it mentions toys anywhere. Do you know, I don't think it mentions toys even once? I'm sure children must have played in the Bible. I imagine Jesus as a boy was brilliant at hide and seek (John 1:47-49)!

http://eileenknowles.com/from-fig-tree-to-follower/

The Bible does mention about people dressing up though. But they're not playing a game. And we're to watch out for them, because they can trick us into believing things that are not God's Truth. 

Who are they?

Jesus warns us to look out for "wolves dressed in sheep's clothing". (Matthew 7: 15-16). If a real wolf dressed up as a sheep, it would probably look a little silly - and it most certainly would be up to no good, as wolves eat sheep. Not great news for the sheep, eh? 

The Bible tells us that we are God's sheep (Psalm 95: 7, John 10:14). And Jesus Himself explained that the 'wolves' He meant are really 'false prophets' - people who claim to be speaking for God, but are actually telling lies to trick the Church.

But if they look like us, and behave like us, and talk like us - how do we know who these 'false prophets' are? Jesus said we'd know them by their fruit. Good fruit - God's fruit - is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). Bad fruit is the opposite of these things. 

http://www.layman.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/wolf-sheep.jpg

Any gardener will tell you, fruit takes several months to develop and grow. It doesn't appear straight away. So Jesus is warning us to be wise, to not accept everything that people say to us, but to watch for their fruit. It's also really really important that you read your Bible for yourself, so that you know when someone is teaching you something that is wrong.

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Most of us have a favourite toy or a game that we like to play. But there are many children all over the world who make their own toys out of other people's rubbish, play football with tin cans, and cuddle dolls made out of tatty old clothes. You can read some of their stories here. 

PARENTS! There's also some really good resources for teaching about street children here. (I'm not affiliated or connected to this charity at all. I simply know a little about their work and find their site useful to raise awareness in my kids).

Private Eye

So, who likes pretending to be a detective? Do you have a magnifying glass to help you spot clues? Perhaps you wear a deerstalker hat and a cloak to look like Sherlock Holmes?

http://logarithm.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/dedective1.jpg

My kids like playing detectives, and even had some toy handcuffs so they could put the bad guys in prison. Then they lost them and they've never been found since.

Ask your parents why this is a good example of 'irony'.

We're going to be 'detectives' today and look at some clues from the Bible to help us understand a story in Genesis.

In Genesis 4, we read that the two sons of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, each brought the Lord a gift. Abel's gift pleased God, but Cain's did not. What Genesis 4 DOESN'T say is why one gift was acceptable to God and one wasn't.

Here's where YOU come in. Here are your clues: can you work out why Cain's gift was rejected by the Lord?

Clue 1. "You have proved* my heart ..." (Psalm 17:3) *tested

Clue 2. "For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

(Amplified Bible)

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God understands our motives (the reason why we do something). We can do the right thing but with the wrong attitude. The Bible says we should honour one another above ourselves (Romans 10:12). Honour means to treat people as special, to do more than what's expected of you and to have a good attitude.The Bible says we should do everything without complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:14) and that we should have a willing spirit (Psalm 51:12).

Do you know that although people can't see into our hearts like God can, we SHOW them what's in our heart by the way we behave? Our behaviour gives 'clues' about the attitude of our heart. If we complain or argue when we're asked to tidy up, or help with the dishes, or do our bookwork, we show that our hearts lack honour, respect and willingness.

We need to 'consider our ways' (think about the way we behave) (Psalm 119:59). Next time you feel angry or cross when you are asked to help tidy up, or do your work, take a moment to play 'detective'; look at the clues and see if you can work out what's hiding in your heart. Ask God to show you! And then, perhaps you need to say sorry. Ask Him to change your heart to be more like Jesus.

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Here's a really good song for you to learn!

PARENTS' RESOURCE!!!

AHAAARGH!

[PARENTS! The sound quality on the video isn't great - I'm still learning how to use the recording equipment. The passage is Job 28 (NIV-UK), which you may prefer to read out loud as the video is playing instead.]

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Ahoy there, m'little rapscallions! Today we're a goin' a treasure huntin'! Pirates like treasure, and we like a huntin' it. 

My favourite treasure is PEARLS. But some scallywag did hornswaggle (cheat) me and instead of a treasure map he gave me a chapter of the Bible to read! I don't think I'll find treasure there, do you? 

This is the passage he gave me from the Bible, it's Job 28 ...

Shiver me timbers! He didn't run a rig (trick me) after all! Wisdom is the greatest treasure! So that's why he gave me this Pearl of Wisdom and said, "That'll remind you!"



P'raps you'd like to make one o'these, m'little buccanneers?!

Here's how.

1. Get yer mum or yer dad to cut and paste Proverbs 8:10-11 (below) and print it out on a clean sheet of paper. (The font is Viner Hand ITC)

Choose my instruction

instead of silver,

knowledge rather

than choice gold,

for wisdom is more

precious than rubies,

and nothing you desire

can compare with her.

Proverbs 8:10-11

2. Carefully TEAR the paper all around the passage.

3. Stick the passage onto a piece of card. We used the inside of a cereal box. Pirates like cheerios.

4. Using PVA glue or hot glue, stick a small piece of bubble wrap onto your card. Glue a bead pearl inside a sea shell, and then glue the shell to the bubble wrap.

5. To make your Pearl of Wisdom look old and piratey, squeeze the excess moisture out of a used tea bag then 'paint' the card and the edges of the passage with the tea bag. Be careful not to 'paint' the printed words as they will smudge!

Right then, m'hearties! I'm off. I'll not be seeking gold or silver no more. It's not an 'X' that marks the spot, it's a
 


[For a pirate's glossary of terms, click here]

Humility (WWI - part 4)

Of course, a hundred years ago people didn't have mobile phones; cars and other motor vehicles were a very new technology and weren't particularly reliable; and there weren't any computers so messages were sent by post rather than by email.

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We've already read that many people died during WWI. But many animals died too. Eight million horses were killed during the war. At first, horses were used as cavalry, with mounted soldiers charging and engaging in combat. Eventually, the trenches made this impossible. Instead, horses were used to transport goods and materials to the front line as they were more reliable than cars and cheaper to maintain.

One hundred thousand pigeons were used as messengers, with 95% getting through with their message. You can read about one famous pigeon, Cher Ami, here.

Dogs were used for many different jobs: as messengers, sentry dogs, scouts, casualty dogs, explosive dogs, ratters and mascots. You can read about one famous dog, Tweed, here.

As horses were needed on the front line, very unusual animals were taking their place back home! Take a look!

Probably the smallest creature used during the war was this little chap ...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons
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Glow worms were caught by their thousands by soldiers in the trenches, placed into jars and used as torches to help with map reading, examining reports and reading letters from home!

We can learn a lot from these animals. This was not their war. They had no idea what was going on around them. They didn't argue or complain, they weren't trying to show how clever they were, nor did they look for a reward. They simply did what they were expected to do.

The Bible asks us to have exactly the same attitude as these animals. (Philippians 2:3-4). We need to do everything without complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:14), with a willing spirit (Psalm 51:12) and honour others above ourselves (Romans 12:10).

Can you think of some ways you can do this at home, today? Ask Jesus to help you!

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QUIZ!

How much do you know about WWI? Test your knowledge with this fun quiz!

If you're not sure of the answers, see if you can find them here.

How many people started the first world war?

1. 10 people
2. 100,000 people
3. 1 person

Where was the first world war fought?

1. In London
2. In trenches dug across France
3. In Pizza hut

 What happened at Christmas 1914?

1. They ran out of bullets so threw water balloons at each other
2. They put on a pantomime
3. They stopped fighting and played football instead

Find out more here.

What was the Women's Land Army?

1. An Army from Women's Land
2. Women became farmers to provide food
3. Women fought against the land

When two planes were fighting in the sky, it was called:

1. A dog fight?
2. A tiger fight?
3. A budgy fight?

Which of the following were used in war for the first time in WWI?

1. Planes
2. Chemicals
3. Tanks
4. Footballs
5. All of the above

Why are poppies used to remember WWI?

1. Because they grew over graves of dead soldiers
2. Because they are red, like blood
3. Because they are pretty

Longing for Home (WWI - part 3)

Even before the first world war, music was often used during war time. Sometimes they were sad songs about the loss of life during war. Sometimes the songs encouraged the soldiers to be brave and do mighty deeds. Sometimes songs were written for the soldiers to march along to.

In WWI many songs reflected how much the soldiers longed for home and to be with family and friends again. A famous song of the time - and a favourite of the soldiers - was It's a long way to Tipperary. The video shown on the link shows many scenes of soldiers marching along to the frontline. Why don't you try learning the catchy chorus and try marching along to it at home?

Another famous song of the time was Keep the Home Fires Burning. Both of these songs describe how the soldiers wanted so much to be home.

The Bible talks about how we are away from the Lord while we live in our bodies, and how we long to be at home with Him (2 Corinthians 5: 6-8). This doesn't mean that God isn't with us now, just that we can't see Him and touch Him like we will be able to do when we are with Him in heaven. God is preparing a city for those who understand that we are foreigners on earth and are longing for our heavenly home (Hebrews 11:13-16).

A 'foreigner' is a visitor to a place or country that is not their own. They are different to the people who live there, they think differently, behave differently, and want different things. If we love Jesus, then we need to be different to people who don't know Him. Sometimes this is hard. People can be very unkind to those who don't 'fit in' with everyone else. But if we live our lives to please God - not ourselves or other people - He will help us to be strong, and one day we will live with Him in His Kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:9-12)!

Can you think of a time when you have been different to other children because you are a Christian? Perhaps you can think of a time when you went along with the crowd because it was easier? Don't worry, God loves you and will forgive you if you ask Him. (1 John 1:9). I know, because I've done it too!

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In the video of the song Keep the Home Fire burning, above, did you notice what the pictures were showing? When all the men went off to war, women were encouraged to do the jobs that the men left behind. They farmed and worked in factories and did many other jobs that they would never have done before the war. After the war, many of these women found it very annoying that the men wanted their jobs back! They enjoyed working and earning a wage. You can read more about women in the world war here.

               

http://ww2poster.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/womenofbritaincomeintothefactories.jpg
http://www.annefrankguide.net/en-gb/content/wla.jpg

An Eye for an Eye (WWI - part 2)

There cannot be a war unless there are people willing to fight! When WWI first broke out, there were plenty of volunteers to send to the 'frontlines', willing to fight for their country.

But there were some who 'objected' to the war, and refused to fight as they believed it was wrong. These men were called 'conscientious objectors' and were often accused of being cowards. Many people were angry with conscientious objectors, as their brothers, sons, fathers and uncles were fighting and being killed or injured in the trenches. They felt it was unfair that some men stayed at home where it was safe and had nothing to do with the war. Sometimes conscientious objectors were handed white feathers, as a sign of cowardice.

There were many different reasons why people objected to the war and refused to fight. One of the reasons was because of their religious beliefs.

Is it ever right to fight?

The Bible tells us that God will take revenge against our enemies, so we must not. We are to be peaceful and be kind to our enemies. (Romans 12:17-21).

But there is a difference between revenge and justice. Our God is a just God. And we are to be just too. We are told that 'to do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.' (Proverbs 21:3) and that when justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. (Proverbs 21:15).

The Bible also says that we should "defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." (Psalm 82:3-4)

Imagine you are playing with your friends and some other children come along and start throwing stones at you. They're all around you, so you can't run to get help from a grown-up.

Do you ...

(a) Stand still and let them hurt you and your friends?
(b) Try and stop them from throwing stones at you, even if it means fighting back?

Now imagine that the naughty children have run out of stones to throw.

Do you ...

(a) Throw stones at them to show them how much they hurt you?
(b) Run and tell a grown-up so that they can be punished?

Finally, imagine the naughty children have been punished by a grown-up.

Do you ...

(a) Ignore them, because they are not very nice children.
(b) Give them some of your chocolate, to help them feel better.

There are times when it is right to defend yourself. But we should never take revenge; a punishment needs to be fair. And we need to forgive, and be kind to people who have not been kind to us, because this is showing God's love. This can be HARD! We need to ask God to help us.

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In WWI tanks, planes and chemical weapons were used for the first time. You can read about them here. 

Technology has changed a lot over 100 years. How many differences you can spot between this WWI plane and a modern fighter jet?

http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/images/nieuport_11_03_750.jpg

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Why don't you ask a grown up to find some stinky things for you to smell, such as spices, medicines (TCP, AfterBite), garlic, vinegar, or daddy's socks (tee hee!)? Perhaps you could make a gas mask, like my son did ... !

The Power of One (WWI - part 1)

100 years ago, in 1914, a Serbian named Gavrilo Princip shot dead the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenburg.

 

His actions triggered a chain of events that resulted in the first World War taking place, killing more than 37 million people – men, women and children. 

In 1885, another man, Edward Kimble, walked into a shoe store and shared the gospel with one of his Sunday School pupils who worked there.

The shoe salesman was D.L. Moody, who gave his life to Jesus that very day and went on to be an evangelist who lead thousands of people to Christ.

You can read more about Kimble’s story on these websites:

http://www.travisagnew.org/2013/07/22/the-chain-of-events-for-billy-grahams-conversion/

http://calvarychristiancenter.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/edwrd-kimble-and-shoe-salesman.html

 

Kimble’s actions started a chain of events that eventually lead to the conversion of Billy Graham, in 1934. And in 1984, nearly 100 years after Kimble walked into that shoe shop, Billy Graham held a rally at Anfield Football Stadium in Liverpool, where my parents became Christians, who then lead me (aged 10) and my brother to Christ! 

Here I am with my mum, who gave her life to the Lord at that Billy Graham rally and then told me about Jesus …… hello! 

One man’s actions started a war in which millions died. Another man’s actions resulted in millions of people hearing about Jesus and becoming Christians. Including me! 

Our choices can have a massive impact on our lives and the lives of people around us. We need to make wise choices. The Bible is big on wisdom. We are told to "prize Wisdom highly" (Proverbs 4:8), and to "seek Wisdom as for silver and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures" (Proverbs2:4). This is because "the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6). If we seek Wisdom, we find God!

When Edward Kimble heard God asking him to walk into a shoe shop and tell a young man about Jesus, Kimble was scared! What would the young man say? But Kimble knew that even when God asks us to do things which seem crazy, we should not rely on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) but trust Him, because His 'foolishness' is wiser than our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). If you're not sure whether you're making a good decision, all you need to do is ask God, because if you ask Him in faith, He will give wisdom to you (James 1:5-6).

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People use poppies to commemorate (remember) the first world war. Poppies grew over the graves of the soldiers who died in the trenches. A soldier called John McCrae wrote a famous poem about these poppies, which you can read here. The red colour of the poppies reminds us of the blood which was shed by the soldiers who died for their country. 

Someone else gave His blood for us, too. This one man did something which changed the future of the whole world. Can you think Who it might be?

Why don't you have a go at making a poppy? Find out how here.