PERSPECTIVE ABOUT CHILDREN

“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward" (Psalm 127:3 NKJV).

Today the general attitude about children leaves much to be desired. However, the Bible gives us better perspective about children. From our verse we therefore want to note the following: the concern about children and the compensation from children.

Concern about children – “Behold.” This word denote surprise, and the surprise of our day is that children are not valued as blessings. However, children are a gift from God and bring blessings on their parents. Yet, folks today are more concerned about population and the environment. We worry about a lot of things that God has never told us to be concerned about. On the other hand, we never get concerned about the many important things that God has told us to be concerned about. He tells us to be concerned about immorality, drunkenness, greed, and dishonesty. But we ignore those concerns and instead focus on population and the environment. “Behold” will surprise many of so-called experts of our day.

Compensation from children – “Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is his reward.” The Psalmist illustrates the value of children in two ways. First, inheritance: “Children are a heritage of the Lord” - We all like to receive an inheritance. Children are so valuable that they are described as an inheritance from God. That puts a much better perspective on children than abortion. Second, reward: Children as a reward from God. A reward is not a curse but a blessing. God does not give cheap rewards. He gives the best. Only a perverted, fouled up mind would view God's rewards as a problem instead of a blessing. Abortion and day-care centers do not give the right perspective about children, but the Bible does.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Children should be taught more about the Rock of Ages instead of the ages of the rocks!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Do (commits)

In 1 Cor. 6:18 we read, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body!” (NKJV).

Do (commits) is the Greek word poieō (ποιέω = poy-eh'-o). It is means to make, create, produce, work, accomplish, perform, and act. The idea is to undertake or do something that brings about an event, state, or condition.

In Classical Greek poieō frequently appears in relation to man and his work, e.g., the making of a grave, the building of a house or temple, or the production of a work of art. In the Septuagint poieō is most often translated as to make, do. In the New Testament poieō carries a wide variety of meanings, including to make, create, bring about, execute, work, appoint, produce, accomplish, perform, and act. Besides the many references of poieō in relation to usual human work, poieō is also used of man and his responsibility to “do” the will of God (Eph. 6:6; Heb. 10:36).

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would give gifts to men (Psalm 68:18)

New Testament Fulfillment – Eph. 4:7-16

Did You Know…

The book of Genesis starts out with the three words, “In the beginning”. It then goes through a series of next days to describe the creation of the world and the creation of life from nothing. It talks about “the light” and the dark. On the seventh day, God rests. The Gospel of John also starts out with the three words, “In the beginning”. It then goes through a series of next days (John 1:29, 35, 43) to describe “the light of the world”, Jesus Christ, who leads us out of darkness and gives new life to the world. On the seventh day (the third day after the fourth day, John 2:1) there is a wedding feast, with Jesus creating wine from water.

Bible Quiz

At what age did Jesus begin His ministry?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: According to 1 Corinthians 1, the “Greeks seek for wisdom.” What does the Jews seek for? A sign (1 Cor. 1:22)

Everyday Expressions Alluded to in the Bible

"Do the little things”

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much!” (Ecc. 10:8 NKJV).

“Do the little things” - The expression “do the little things” carries the idea of giving attention to small matters. Faithfulness is not only important to men, but it is also important to the Lord. If you are unfaithful in small matters, you will be unfaithful in larger matters. If a person can be trusted in handling a matter of small importance, he can also be trusted with important matters; if he cannot be depended on in connection with the first, it would not be safe either to entrust to him the second.

Did You Know – Christian History

Jeremy Lanphier was born in 1809 in Albany, NY. He however moved to New York City to find employment and became a success as a clothing wholesaler.

Although he attended church to sing in the choir, Lanphier was not a Christian. He was later converted to Christ while attending the Broadway Tabernacle. Immediately he became concerned about the souls of those around him. Unmarried, Lanphier was able to give his evenings and spare time to passing out tracts and talking to people.

Working for the Dutch Reformed Church in lower Manhattan, Lanphier would spend his days visiting members, witnessing, and holding Bible studies. The work took its toll spiritually, but Lanphier found he was recharged if he spent an hour at noon in prayer.

Then it occurred to him that praying might also be beneficial to others. He obtained a room on Fulton Street and printed 20,000 flyers, setting the first meeting for noon on Wednesday September 23, 1857. On the appointed day, Lanphier knelt to pray alone. For half an hour, he remained praying in solitude. Then a man showed up and, without a word, knelt beside him. Then another. By 1 PM, ten knees were on the floor beside Lanphier. The following week, several more men appeared. By October, Lanphier had to get a larger building. On 7 October, he had forty businessmen as prayer partners, and they asked to meet daily. The timing could not have been more perfect.

On 10 October 1857, financial panic struck America - banks folded, railroads went bankrupt, factories closed, and unemployment skyrocketed. Desperate people turned to prayer. Such a great number of people flocked to churches that soon many places of worship around the city were forced to open their sanctuaries at noon and evening for prayer. Within six months 10,000 people were gathering daily for prayer in New York City alone. Other cities experienced a renewed interest in prayer, too. The newly formed YMCA also played an important role in holding prayer meetings and spreading the revival throughout the country.

The result was labeled America’s Third Great Awakening. This was the first revival beginning in America with a worldwide impact. The revival spread to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Europe, South Africa, India, Australia, and the Pacific islands. Jeremy Lanphier continued his work in New York’s streets until he was too old to get around any longer. He died in 1898.

A Little Humor

A minister was telling the banker about the new choir director. “He has a marvelous voice,” he said. “He can hold a note for two minutes.” “That’s nothing,” said the banker. “I have held one of his notes for two years!”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Lead a child to Christ - save a life!”