Luke 21:1-4 “1 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. 3 And He said, ‘Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; 4 for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.’”

JUST A QUARTER

At the church where I serve our children take up an offering every week to support 3 children, two in Guatemala and one in Thailand. It doesn’t take a lot of money each month to do that ($32 each), and we encourage them to being one quarter a week to help with that. For some of our kids twenty-five cents is easy to come by. For others it is a challenge. But when they come forward each week in our Children’s Church to give their offering or when they put it in the basket during Sunday School, I know the Lord is pleased.

Jesus took the time to point out the poor widow’s gift. Most would have not even noticed her putting her two small coins in the offering. But Jesus wasn’t looking at her gift. He was looking at her heart. He saw beyond the amount and instead, saw they motive.

TEACHING MOMENT

How do you teach your children to give? Well, you have to give. They watch you give. Even if you give online, through a text, through automatic draft or in the offering plate, they need to see that. You need to help them give. Give them chores at the house where they can earn the money to give. Help them figure out their tithe or a “grace” gift above the tithe. Maybe they want to raise a special offering for a project or mission. That’s awesome! Do that! Give towards it! And then celebrate it.

We never know how the Lord can use the faithful act of giving to lead a child towards a lifetime of service. Who knows, maybe their giving will inspire your giving!

Daniel 10:5-6 “5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.”

THEOPHANIES

There are a few appearances of Jesus in the Old Testament, and this is one of them. The Lord Jesus Himself appears to Daniel on the bank of the Tigris River to encourage and strengthen him. But notice what Daniel had been doing? Go back and read verses 1-4. I’ll wait…..

He had been fasting and praying for his nation. He had prepared himself to hear from the Lord. He was ready. Those who were with him did NOT see Jesus. It doesn’t say whether they had been fasting or not, but they obviously weren’t ready to see Him. Are you?

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children must be prepared to see Jesus. Now I don’t mean to say they will “see” Jesus with their own physical eyes. I don’t want to put Jesus in a box and imply He can’t appear to them, but I am saying they need to be able to see with their hearts our living Lord and Savior. It is up to us, their parents, to prepare their hearts.

Do we force them to fast to see Him? Do we force them to wear sackcloth and ashes? No! But we do lay before them an environment that invites them to pursue Him. We live a life that draws them to Him. We give them opportunities to experience what holy living is. By doing these things they will be sensitive to His call and will “see” Him when He “appears” to them.

Will you be that Jesus to someone else? Will you show them what Jesus looks like? Will you let your life be so surrendered to His will that all people see is Jesus? Then others will see what you see!

Luke 18:15-17 “15 And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. 16 But Jesus called for them, saying, ‘Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.’”

LAYING ON HANDS

One of the joys of my ministry as a Children’s Pastor is seeing babies as soon as possible after they are born. I like to take them in my arms and pray for them and the family. I’ve said it many times, but I am amazed each time at the beauty of childbirth and the miracle of a new life. Jesus was too, I am sure of it.

The word for “babies” in verse 15 can be translated as newborn, infant or even a baby in the womb. Perhaps some of the moms came for Jesus to lay hands on their enlarged bellies. I have to imagine the love and power of Christ penetrated into the womb. Maybe when those babies were born and began talking they asked their moms what happened that day. Okay, I know, that is probably stretching it.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children need to see us blessing others, especially other children. Do they have friends you can pray over with them present? When they have a friend over for the night, do you pray with them just like you do with your own child? If you do, don’t stop this as they get older. Pray over their teenage friends. Pray over the boy or girl they are dating (especially them).

Encourage your children to pray for their friends and other children. Encourage your children to do all they can to bring other children to Jesus. He said it clearly in this passage. He desires they all come to Him to “receive the kingdom.”

Be a bridge, not a moat!

Daniel 7:9-10 “9 I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. 10 A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened.”

DID YOU SEE THAT?

Have you ever come across a scene that is both terrifying and incredible? I mean, you want to turn away but you just can’t. You have to try to take it all in. Every part of you screams, “Turn away! Stop looking.” But you have to keep staring at the scene.

I imagine Daniel felt like that when he had this vision. Chapters 7-12 of Daniel are the prophecy section of the book. Fortunately for us, God did not leave him hanging. He not only gave him the vision of the end times, but he gave him (and us) the meaning. I just think it is fitting that these chapters begin with the vision of God on His throne. Terrifying but inviting! Astonishing and amazing!

TEACHING MOMENT

On your next road trip or vacation you may have the opportunity to see something amazing. Your kids will probably drop their jaws and scream, “Wow!” Take that opportunity to share this verse. Their imagination can fill in the picture. Explain to them that God sitting on His throne will be magnificent. And we, as believers, will see that one day. We will approach that throne with confidence, not in fear. We will see His glory! We will be bathed in His light.

Kids love to imagine stuff. Some of your children may have the artistic ability to draw or paint. Why not have them draw this scene? Let them put their imagination on paper! Why not? You may even get a glimpse of His glory through your child.

Luke 14:26 “’If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.’”

SAY WHAT?

At first glance you may think Jesus is contradicting Himself. His message was one of love. Didn’t He say to love your enemies? So, why would He say that we must hate our families? Well, you have to look at that word “hate” a little closer.

This word does mean to detest or hate, but it is a comparative word, which means compared to your love for Him, your love for your family will seem like hate. Got it? He is NOT saying we should hate our families. He would never want that. He died for all men, women, boys and girls. He wants us to bring them along as we follow Him.

TEACHING MOMENT

Now I am sure that sometime in the past or sometime soon one of your cute, little, precious angels will say to their sibling or to you, “I hate you.” They get mad sometimes, don’t they? These words may slip right out of their mouths. What a perfect verse to use to correct them. You could say, “Funny, you say that. Did you know Jesus said we should hate our father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters?” They will probably say, “What? No way!” Then you can teach them about love.

It just never ceases to amaze me how the Bible has an answer to every child raising situation. People say we aren’t given a manual when we have a child. Wrong! We have the best “how to” manual ever written. We just have to use it. But in order to use it, we have to first live it. There’s the rub!

Are you willing to love Jesus so much that in comparison your love for your own child seems like hate? Too many parents put their children before their spouse and the Lord. Their whole world revolves around little Gertrude. Stop it!

The Lord has to be first in your life. He must be the very center of all your choices. But I promise if you do that, He will take care of all those around you. He will give you more than enough love and time for others, if you first give Him your devotion. Do that today!

Daniel 5:27 “’’TEKĒL’-you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.’”

STRONG MESSAGE

Belshazzar had a problem. He had received a handwritten message on the wall of the palace (ancient graffiti) but couldn’t read it. He and his drunken partiers had seen a hand write the message and were terrified. Only Daniel was able to interpret it. While part of that message does not apply to us (We won’t be overthrown by the Medes or Persians), I believe this phrase does.

I don’t know about you, but I have always struggled with my weight. I have probably lost and gained 5 tons in my lifetime. I have never had someone tell me “You have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.” But that is NOT what the Lord is referring to here. The king’s character and humility were deficient. How about yours?

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children will definitely glean from us how we live our lives. They will model our humility or pride. They will remember our integrity or dishonesty. They will repeat many of our selfish or selfless acts. So what are you teaching little Susie or Bobby? There is no guarantee they will follow our godly examples. Belshazzar didn’t follow his father’s repentant behavior. Instead he partied hard. He thumbed his nose at the very God who had punished and delivered his father.

But we parents must do all we can to set the godly example for our children to follow. We do not want them to be “weighed on the scales and found deficient” anymore than we want to be told that. Will you vow this year to weigh every action you take in light of how your children will repeat it? Will you ask yourself, “Do I want my son/daughter to do what I am doing?”

I know I will never be perfect, but I sure want to be. Why? Because my Father in Heaven is. I want to be just like Him. I want to be remembered as a replica of Jesus. How about you?

Luke 9:28 “Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.”

VIEW FROM THE TOP

Don’t you just love the view from a mountaintop? It really doesn’t matter what time of the year you experience it, the view is normally spectacular. You can see for miles on a clear day, and you can almost touch the heavens. Maybe that’s why Jesus went up to the mountains so often to pray.

Where do you like to pray? It may not be convenient to climb the closest mountain, especially if you live in South Florida. Lol. But we can all find a spot where we can be alone and feel close to the Lord as we talk with Him about our desires and needs.

TEACHING MOMENT

One of the joys of parenting is teaching your children to pray. We patiently sit on the bed as little Gertrude or Elroy prays for the cat, dog, pet lizard and other sundry things. But we love hearing them pray for a friend or even a stranger. That’s your mountaintop. Don’t forget the view you have from there. Those are the high spots of parenting.

And the view gets sweeter as they grow and ask to lead in prayer at the table or at a special event. It gets even sweeter as you watch them pray with their own children. How much closer to heaven do you want to be? And just think, as joyous as you are experiencing all these prayer events, the Father is even more thrilled. He is rejoicing at the prayers of the young child, the teenager and the young parent.

Have you spent time with the Father today? Have you knelt on your mountaintop yet? What are you waiting for? He is waiting to hear from you!

Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”

HARD TO PLEASE

Try as you might, you just can’t please some people. Right? Have you ever had a boss that just couldn’t be pleased? No matter how hard you tried, no matter how many extra hours you put in, he always saw the negative and not the positive. That can be quite depressing, can’t it?

Aren’t you glad our heavenly Father isn’t that way? You see, He knows our heart. He only asks us to do our best. Our best may not seem as good as someone else’s best, but that’s okay. It’s our best. We are measured not according to man, but according to God.

TEACHING MOMENT

Are you hard on your kids? Do you have high expectations for them? There is nothing wrong with setting lofty goals. However, your children need some successes. They need to have achievable goals. Take for example the simple task of making a bed. Every child should learn that skill. It’s one they will use all their life. But do you expect your 5 year old to bounce a quarter off their bed once it is made? That probably isn’t gonna happen. In all reality, if the bedspread/comforter is pulled up and the wrinkles smoothed out that is pretty good for a 5 year old.

Find some ways to praise your child today. Point out their strengths. Stop looking just for the ways they come up short. My guess is you know their heart. You know their motive. You can tell when they are giving it their all and when they are not. Encourage them. Push them. But make sure you are recognizing their best efforts to please you and their heavenly Father.

I would hate to know God was keeping a score sheet on me and my final grade depended on my efforts. I would be doomed. But thanks be to God, my final grade has already been entered into the Lamb’s Book of Life, not because of anything I did, but because of the “effort” of my Savior. It was His final work that guaranteed my acceptance by the Father. How about you?

Luke 5:8 “But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, ‘Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!’”

FISHING TIPS

Peter was just a fisherman. He was tired from a night’s attempt to catch fish. It was his livelihood. He knew how to fish. It wasn’t his first time on a boat. And then this fishing novice, a carpenter of all people, steps into his boat, preaches a message and then has the audacity to instruct Peter how to fish. But there was something about that message. Peter does exactly what Jesus says, and he catches so many fish that he has to call for help.

Man, I wish Jesus would tell me where to fish! Lol. He can preach from my boat anytime, if He can tell me where to fish. But you see, it wasn’t about the fish. It was about the man telling Peter where to fish. It was about Peter recognizing instantly, as he stood in the presence of Jesus, just how sinful a man he was.

TEACHING MOMENT

I don’t care how sweet and precious your children are, they are still sinners. And they need to know that. They need to know that they can’t be good enough. Their efforts to please God, while noteworthy, mean nothing when it comes to holiness and purity. Today’s parents are so busy bragging and praising their children (and there is nothing wrong with that) that we forget to point out our children’s sin.

But look at this verse. Jesus never told Peter to repent. Just being in the presence of holiness made Peter aware of his sins. Does being in your presence draw your children to Christ or drive them away? Do you live your life in such a way that your children want to imitate your walk with Jesus? If you give them instructions on holy living would they follow or laugh?

Those are tough questions. I just know that the older I get and the closer I am to Jesus the more I realize what a wretch I am. I am wicked and deserving only of hell itself. But praise be to God, I am redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. It is His holiness that pours over me, not my own.

Daniel 2:21 “’ “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.’”

AUTHORITY

Isn’t it comforting to know that no matter who gets elected to a political office or who God allows to be your boss, He’s got it all under control? Oh, you didn’t know that? You don’t believe that? Then you must be very miserable.

If there is one passage in Daniel that speaks through the ages it is this verse. God’s sovereignty screams through this verse. His ability to shape the world and direct men is apparent right here. Daniel served four pagan kings while in captivity, but he did it faithfully. If he can do that, why can’t we submit to those God has placed over us.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children must learn submission. Part of the job we have as parents is to make sure they understand authority. As parents, we are their authority as long as they live under our roof. In fact, until they are out on their own providing for themselves they fall under our authority. We have the right and the responsibility to teach them that.

Now I don’t mean we are slave drivers or taskmasters. But we are preparing our children to submit so that when they are adults they will learn that all authority is God ordained and is for their benefit. That applies to government, careers and home.

Are you a submissive person to the authorities in your life? Do you realize God has placed them over you to prepare you for His service? If you haven’t, now is a good time to confess your rebellious spirit and submit to God’s authority in your life first and then submit to those He has placed over you. Will you do that?