We Must Value Our Children!

 In the world today … full of genocide and abortion, sweat shops and street wars ... there doesn’t seem to be a lot of regard for our children. In many parts of our globe, they are considered a commodity .. beings to be used .. chattel for barter and trade. In our own country they have been relegated to the position of fetus.

Could we be making a BIG mistake? What does God think of children?

1. God considers children a gift that he has given us.
Genesis 33:5 "Then Esau looked around and saw the women and children: "And who are these with you?" Jacob said, "The children that God saw fit to bless me with."


2. God considers children a blessing to society.
Matthew 21:15-16 "When the religious leaders … heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, "Hosanna to David's Son!" they were up in arms and took him to task. "Do you hear what these children are saying?"
Jesus said, "Yes, I hear them. And haven't you read in God's Word, 'From the mouths of children and babies I'll furnish a place of praise'?"

3. God considers children a depository of our Hopes.
King David said in Psalm 127:3-5 "Don't you see that children are God 's best gift? The fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep."


4. God feels that we should be responsible for our children.
Proverbs 22:6 "Point your kids in the right direction — when they're old they won't be lost."
Proverbs 29:17 "Discipline your children; you'll be glad you did — they'll turn out delightful to live with."


5. God gave us children to be an example to us all.
Mark 10:13-16 The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.


6. God gave us a warning about our attitude toward children.
Matt 18:1-7 Disciples came to Jesus asking, "Who gets the highest rank in God's kingdom?" For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me.
"But if you give them a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you'll soon wish you hadn't. You'd be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck. Doom to the world for giving these God-believing children a hard time! Hard times are inevitable, but you don't have to make it worse — and it's doomsday to you if you do."

I believe that just about says it all … what do you believe?

Larry Abele - Editorial Team

(Bible references from THE MESSAGE: by Eugene H. Peterson)

It's No Joke!

I recently read a story in the humor section of a magazine.

I seems an atheist was sitting in his seat during a flight and noticed across the aisle an elderly woman, reading her Bible.
After a while, he asked her, "Do you believe what you read in that book?"
"Yes, I do," she replied, smiling sweetly.
"Every word?" he asked.
"Yes, every word."
"Aw come on … do you really believe that Jonah was swallowed by a fish?" he scoffed.
"Yes, I do!"
"Prove it," the atheist retorted.
"Well, I can’t," the little lady replied. "However, when I get to heaven, I’ll ask him."
"What if he isn’t in heaven," the man smirked.
"Well, she responded without hesitation, "then you ask him!"

I giggled to myself until I realized that the joke was not funny. That man will someday believe in God, as we all will.

When we are standing before God’s throne, in judgement, the proof will be before us. But, by then, it may be too late to avoid an eternity in hell.

All of us will meet our maker. Those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior will have the perfect lawyer … Jesus, Himself. Those who refused to believe or worst yet, never got around to believing will have no defense. They will stand condemned.

It will be an unbelievably awesome, knee-shaking event, standing before the Lord. Personally, I want to be well prepared for that meeting. I want Jesus on my side.

How about you? Are you a sinner … you better answer yes … we are all sinners. Will you stand before Him, trembling in your filthy rags, or will you be standing there dressed in the clothes that Christ’s blood supplied for you?

All you need to do is admit you are a sinner, repent of those sins, and believe that Christ died to save you from those sins. Let Him know … Jesus will do the rest.

It’s no joke! Take your pick … as for me and my house … I will chose Jesus!

Larry Abele, Editorial Team

Please Pray With Us ...

My good friend and one of the editorial team of this blog, Sasha Shein, sent me a prayer request. It concerned the news of further trouble in the area east of the Black Sea … Georgia, Russia and South Ossetia.

Paul, Sasha and I ministered to people in that area nearly 10 years ago. We were in the city of Vladikavkaz 20 miles north of the border of Georgia and 100 miles north of the capital of South Ossetia where the fighting is taking place.

It is a wildly beautiful area with humble, warm, beautiful people. Many times I find myself thinking back to those days among them. And I, along with Paul and Sasha, am grieved by this terrible news.

Let me share with you a portion of Sasha’s letter:

"Russian believers are greatly concerned and are praying for the people of South Ossetia. The aggression of Georgian troops and the genocide exercised by Georgian government must be stopped. Please pray for the people of South Ossetia and our fellow believers among them who I happen to know personally."

God proclaimed in 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

This is personal to Jesus Christ, my friends; it is personal to us and it should be personal to you. Please pray for these precious people!

Larry Abele - Editorial Team

All eyes are on China but not all for the same reason.

China is one of the most exiting mission fields of the world, and the church better take notice and perhaps learn a few things. To illustrate my point let me quote a passage from Philip Yancey’s book, “ What’s So Amazing About Grace?” (pgs. 258-259)

Not long ago I had a conversation with an elderly missionary who spent his early life in China. He had been among the 6000 missionaries expelled after the communist took over. As in Russia, the communist strove mightily to destroy the church, which until then had been a showcase of the missionary movement. The government forbade house churches, made it illegal for parents to give religious education to their children, imprisoned and tortured pastors and Bible teachers.

Meanwhile the exiled missionaries sat on the sidelines and wrung their hands. How would the church in China fare without them? Without their seminaries and Bible colleges, their literature and curricula, without even the ability to print Bibles, could the church survive? For 40 years these missionaries heard rumours, some discouraging and some encouraging, about what was happening in China, but no one knew for sure until the country began opening up in the 1980s.

I asked this elderly missionary, now a renowned China expert, what had happened in the intervening 40 years. “Conservatively, I would estimate that there were 750,000 Christians when I left China.

And now? You hear all sorts of numbers, but I think a safe figure would be 35 million believers.” Apparently the church and the Holy Spirit Fared quite well on their own. The church in China now constitutes the second largest evangelical community in the world; only the United States exceeds it.

One China expert estimates that the revival in China represents the greatest numerical increase in the history of the Church. In an odd way the government hostility ultimately worked to the church’s advantage. Chinese Christians devoted themselves to worship and evangelism - the original mission of the Church - and did not much concern themselves with politics. They concentrated on changing lives not changing laws.

The words of Jesus are still pertinent for this generation; “Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.“ Mat. 28:19-20

That article, written in 1997 and stating 35 million believers, is updated today to 50 to 70 million believers.

Paul Weresch

God helps those who help themselves!

This is a common saying but it is not true when it comes to the salvation in Jesus Christ.

The Bible speaks of Salvation as a free gift rather then something we did for ourselves.

The Apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)

That means that everyone misses the mark in his own deeds. All great and small have missed the mark for all have sinned. He further states that sin has consequences: “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23)

Paul, who had a personal encounter with Christ, the Saviour of all mankind, concludes: “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Then back to Romans 3:24, the Bible says, “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

This Gift, my friend, is available to all, by faith. In Romans 10:13, the Bible says, “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” God is a respecter of no person. His salvation is available to all who will call on His name.

The truth is God will help those who cannot help themselves and will call upon him for salvation in Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesus?

Paul Weresch

Neglect and Forgetfulness can be Dangerous

We are constantly reminded of our bodily needs by our bodily senses and desires, and by the material world. If we forget to eat physical food, we will be reminded by hunger pains. If we neglect to clothe our bodies and to collect fire wood, we will be reminded by feeling cold. If we neglect to earn and save money, then bills in the mail will soon make us aware of that need.

However, it is much easier to forget the needs of the spirit, because the prompting's are not as noticeable and deprivation signals are often overlooked. God in his providence may cause us to notice our neglect or forgetfulness. Perhaps this blog entry is one reminder.

King David said, "I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous person forsaken nor his children begging bread" (Psalm 37:23-26).

When we put God first in this world, we will always be looked after even in times of persecution, and in the world to come we will have eternal life. Jesus confirmed that in Mark 10:29-30.

However, labouring for eternal life is more important than working for the things of this world. Jesus said, "Labour not for the food which perishes, but for the food that endures unto eternal life".

Comparing this with the above passages, we see that, while some earthly work is necessary, we can work too long and hard for earthly comforts, and neglect to work for things eternal (John 6:27).

Paul Weresch

"I will not neglect to remind you." (2 Peter 1:12)

Don’t throw away your Necktie

My wife and I are spending a few days in Croatia, a country where we have ministered on many occasions with great joy. Currently there is great religious freedom and a deep hunger for God.

On the lighter side did you know that Croatia is the mother country of the necktie?

Many events in the history of mankind eventually fade into oblivion, but others, leave their indelible marks for the entire world to see. More than 350 years ago, the Croats initiated one such influential occurrence. Six hundred million people now wear the ubiquitous symbol of Croatia around their necks, close to their hearts ... the necktie.

In his book, La Grande Histoire de la Cravate (Flamarion, Paris, 1994), François Chaille tells us about the appearance of this article of clothing and how it became fashionable.

"... Around the year 1635, some six thousand soldiers and knights came to Paris to give their support to King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu. Among them were a great number of Croatian mercenaries led a Croatian viceroy. The traditional outfit of these Croats aroused interest on account of the unusual and picturesque scarves distinctively tied about their necks. The scarves were made of various cloths, ranging from coarse material for common soldiers, to fine cotton and silk for officers.

This elegant "Croatian style" immediately enamoured the French, who were delighted by the new article of clothing, which had been previously unknown in Europe. For the gallant French officers in the thirty-year war, the advantage of the Croatian neck scarf was its enviable practicality. In contrast to the lace collar that had to be kept white and carefully starched, the scarf was simply and loosely tied around the neck without need for any additional care.

Around the year 1650, during the reign of Louis XIV, the Croatian scarf was accepted in France, above all in court, where military ornaments were much admired. The fashionable expression, ’a la croate’, soon evolved into a new French word, which still exists today: la cravate.

This innovation symbolized the height of culture and elegance. On his return to England from exile, Charles II brought with him this new word in fashion. Over the next ten years, this fashion novelty spread across Europe, as well as across the colonies on the American continent..."

Since that time in the 17th century, derivatives of the word croata have been present in many languages, (i.e., English, German, French, Portuguese, Italian), meaning cravat or tie. It follows then that Croatia is the mother country of the necktie, as France is the mother country of high fashion, Brazil of coffee, Switzerland of cheese and watches.

Paul Weresch