Saving...
Preparing Your Family for Eternal Life
Photo Credit: Jamie Brelsford
Deuteronomy 11:18-21
“Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.”
My husband and I have been talking a lot as of late about preparing our children, our family, our home for the Kingdom to Come. This isn’t a new topic. Over the years we have tried to instill in our children a love for God and for serving Him. But the idea has taken on new urgency.
Do you feel it, too? This sense that we don’t have much time? That this world is coming to a close? That Jesus is really coming soon. I hear my children talk about growing up in heaven and it warms my heart. They want to go to heaven. I mean, really want to go to heaven.
More and more, when I talk to people, even people I would consider nominal Christians, I hear things like, “I believe Jesus is coming back soon, don’t you?” or “Man, things are getting bad, it won’t be much longer.”
Jesus said:
“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” Mark 13: 28-37
Watch. Lest he find you sleeping.
I don’t want to be asleep! I want to be prepared. I want my family prepared to see Him face to face. I don’t want to be one of the multitude that cries out to the rocks to fall on me!
“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6: 12-17
Speaking of the Seven Seals of Revelation, did you know that the only one that hasn’t already happened is the Seventh Seal? We are in the last days. No question about it. What are you doing to prepare your home for the soon coming of Jesus?
Here are some things we are doing in our home:
- Memorize Scripture
- Family Worship in the Morning and Evening
- Learn about church history.
- Listen to the Daily Audio Bible
- Spend time in nature.
- Make the Sabbath a Delight. It should be the best day of the week!
- Don’t underestimate your children’s ability to understand the deep things of God.
- Talk about heaven – often.
- Read the Bible together. Or read the Bible Story Books out loud.
- Pray together. Earnestly.
Today, over lunch, this was the conversation – totally not prompted by me.
“Mom, do you think we’ll go to the bathroom in heaven?”
“No, we won’t need to because the food we eat in heaven will be perfect and our bodies will absorb everything.”
“Will we sleep in heaven?”
“Well, the Bible says that there is no night in heaven, but when we come back to the new earth after the 1000 years, I think we will have night time.”
“Then, how will we know which day it is?”
“Well, I don’t know, but I do know the Bible tells us that from one Sabbath to the next Sabbath we will come and worship before God, so somehow we’ll know.”
What I love about these conversations so much is that as silly as the questions may sound when repeated here, these questions mean my children believe heaven is a real place where we will live and have fun together! Thank you, Jesus!
What are you doing to prepare your home for eternal life?
Our 2012 Devotional for Family Worship
I’ve been meaning to post this since the beginning of January! In the past we have selected devotional books for the kids that were written specifically for children. And we’ve had some great books over the years. This year we decided to use two adult devotionals book for the whole family during morning and evening worship.
I have been very, very pleased with these books and even our eight year old is enjoying the daily devotions because they speak to the heart. Our morning devotional is Lift Him Up by Ellen White and our evening devotional is The Chosen by Pastor Dwight Nelson. I highly recommend these books for anyone wanting a closer relationship with Jesus!
I think sometimes we underestimate children’s ability to understand the deep things of God. Children are like sponges and they are naturally curious about heaven, God, the Bible, and anything you are willing to share with them. Children can be incredibly wise if given the chance! Bless them with your knowledge, study the Bible alongside them, demonstrate a willingness to know the heart of God.
What is Heaven Like?
Have you ever dreamed of heaven? I love to talk about what heaven might be like. Especially with my children. We imagine what kinds of things we’ll get to do in heaven, pets we want to have, etc. I mean, have you ever really thought about heaven? A lot of people think it will be boring, that we’ll float around and play harps or lead meaningless lives. But that is far from the truth.
One of my favorite things “to do” when I get to heaven is to swim under water with the dolphins. Can you imagine? No drowning in heaven!
I love my horses here. They bring me a lot of joy. But, wow, in heaven, I won’t have to muck out stall, clean horse feet, or worry about hay, feed, blankets, and water in the winter. Joy!
The Bible tells us quite a bit about heaven, but I think the descriptions will pale in comparison to the real thing.
- God has prepared a place for us that is far greater than anything we could think of on our own! “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2: 9
- We won’t have to worry about violence or destruction there. “Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.” Isaiah 60:18
- All the animals will be friendly! “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.” Isaiah 11:6
- There will be no more disabilities. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” Isaiah 35:5,6
- We will build houses! I will eventually have my ultimate dream home! Plus, we will enjoy working with our hands and the work will not be in vain. Things will work out right and never go wrong. And those of us with black thumbs will finally get green ones. I plan to have a big garden in heaven! “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Isaiah 65:21,22
- We will gather for worship each Sabbath. “From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me,declares the LORD.” Isaiah 66:23
- We will eat from the tree of life! “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:1,2
- We will get to see God face to face. Glory! “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” Revelation 22:4
- There will be no more pain, sorrow, sickness, or death!! “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
- We’ll get to sit down and have a chat with Adam and Eve or Abraham or even Noah and Moses! King David! Esther! Ruth! Oh, and Matthew, Mark, Luke and John! Who do you want to talk to? “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 8:11
The Bible also tells us that the New Jerusalem will be adorned as a bride. Beautiful!
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” Revelation 21:1-3
- The city of God is about the size of the state of Colorado. It is the shape of a cube: about 350 miles wide, 350 miles long, and 350 miles high! Plenty of room for everyone who wants to go! ” The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal.” Revelation 21:16
- The foundation are named after the twelve apostles. “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:14
- Its gates are made of giant pearls and the streets are made of pure gold like transparent glass!“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.” Revelation 21:21
I hope you are as excited about seeing heaven and living there with Jesus forever as I am! I hope you’ll be there!
Scripture Memory – Chapters of the Bible
My girls and I decided recently to work on memorizing entire chapters of the Bible together. We are currently working on Psalm 91. This is a beautiful psalm. I printed out the chapter – one sheet for each of us and as we work on each verse, I am highlighting the current verses in yellow. We are learning one and then adding the next and so on. We practice the verses during morning worship as well as throughout the day.
What is your family doing for Family Worship this week?
The Sabbath Day
From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Two
The Sabbath Day
Scripture Memory: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11
Photo Credit: Jonathon Monk
Download the .pdf version of this article.
Today, I want you to reflect again on what God’s holy day means to you. Is it just another day for catching up on chores or do you set aside that time solely for worshiping your Creator?
The Sabbath is not just a day for holy convocation. (1) It is a real 24 hour period in which we are called to put aside worldly cares and spend time with God. The fourth commandment begins saying, “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.”
The fourth commandment in all its beauty is still relevant today! One of the most famous evangelists of all time, D.L. Moody said, “The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. This fourth commandment begins with the word ‘remember,’ showing that the Sabbath already existed when God wrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when they will admit that the other nine are still binding?” (2)
By not setting aside the Sabbath as holy, we as Christians lose a tremendous blessing! There are many ways to keep the Sabbath holy and still enjoy the day. The Sabbath is a perfect day to enjoy being with your family while at the same time helping your children to learn more about God.
Some of our favorite activities (3) for Sabbath include:
Afternoon walks
Going door to door witnessing
Visiting a park to enjoy God’s creation
Playing games such as Bibleopoly or Bible Trivia
Have a picnic and feed the ducks
The Sabbath should bring you joy! Make a list of things you would like to do with your family this Sabbath.
“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” Isaiah 58:13-14
Footnotes:
1. Leviticus 23:3 tells us: “Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.”
2. D.L. MOODY, Weighed and Wanting, page 47.
3. Making the Sabbath a Delight: 100 Ways to Keep the Sabbath: avirtuouswoman.org/2005/08/15/making-the-sabbath-a-delight/
Family Worship – Coloring Page
This week in our family worship time we read a story about a Pigeon named Pete who after being shipped from New York to Australia escaped and flew home! The children loved this story! I love this time we can spend together snuggled on the sofa reading and worshiping together. I found a coloring page of a father and son reading the Bible and I wanted to share t with you.
We received three new devotional books for the year. One of them is for my teen girls, one is for my soon to be 20 year old son (planning to drop it in the mail for him) and the other is for my husband and I to share together. I was excited to get the books in the mail!
What have you been doing this week during family worship?
A Heart White as Snow
During our morning worship this morning we again read from our devotional book for the year, God’s Amazing Creation by Vicki Redden, Dee Litten Reed, and Joelle Reed Yamada.I particularly love this book because every devotion has an illustration taken from nature. My children and I are nature enthusiasts to say the least! Today’s story was about how Jesus makes our heart white as snow, the Snowy Owl and white Sand Dollars. It is yet another reminder that God’s love is found all around us. We just need eyes and hearts open to spy it.
In this morning’s devotion titled “I Spy,” Dee Reed says, “When you were in beginners and kindergarten in Sabbath school, you sang a song that said no matter how dirty your heart is with sin, “Jesus makes it white when He comes in.” It’s true. When we ask Jesus to forgive us, he will make our sins whiter than snow. And when Jesus is looking for a child with a clean loving heart, He’ll look at you and say, “I spy!”
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; they they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18
Isn’t that a beautiful promise? Our children need to be reminded daily that Jesus can make them clean.
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Each Wednesday, we will add a new post for A Year of Family Worship and you can do the same. Share your goals, experiences, and ideas for family worship with the rest of us!
If you don’t have a blog, you can add your comments in the comment section! You can join A Year of Family Worship here. And you can see the 52 Weeks of Family Worship here.
If you do not have a blog… you can either post your ideas here in the comments or even join our Proverbs 31 Sisters Network and get a free blog that way!
My Sabbath Bag – Activity Bags for Church Worship
For a long time I have wanted to make quiet activity bags for the children in our churches to use during the worship hour. I have been planning to make a stash of them that I can pass out to children as they arrive or to guests with children to use during church.
It occurred to me a few days ago (while again sitting in church watching little ones squirm) that a personalized bag for little ones would make a really nice Christmas gift.
I am sharing this idea with you, even though I have not actually made one yet! My idea is to take a plain canvas bag and decorate it with acrylic paint and use a fabric paint pen to write the child’s name on it along with the words “My Sabbath Bag.” Then, I would fill it up with some activities to keep them occupied during the quiet worship hour.However, making generic bags for all the kids in your church would be just as much fun! The bags can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you want to make them.
Here are some ideas to put into the bag:
- I Spy Bottles or Bags
- eeboo Children of the World Lacing Cards – or other themes
- Baby Moses Board Book or Other Bible Story Books
- Bible Activity Books
- Craft Stick Puzzles – kept in a easy zip top baggie
- Small Clipboard
- easy zip top baggie of crayons
- magnetic dollhouse – my girls loved this!
- puzzles
- a small stuffed animal
Really the possibilities are endless! I would suggest that you keep the items in the bag in keeping with the holy Sabbath day, but other than that, I think these could be so much fun to put together. If you do these for the children in your church, you could hang them on hooks in the bag of the sanctuary or in the foyer of the church, or have the Sabbath School teacher pass them out as the children leave class.
Oh, and one more tip – if you make a collection of these bags for your church, it would be important to number the bags and then place a corresponding number on each item that goes into the bag. You can make the bags all different so that the children don’t get bored with having the same exact bags each week!
A Year of Family Worship: Lessons in Nature
This past weekend we took our church youth group (Pathfinder Club) on a camp out. I love camping and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. I love waking up to the fresh air and a warm campfire. I enjoy worshiping God outside – which made me think. If we can worship God outside on a camp out, why can’t we worship God outside for Family Worship?
Why not take your family outside in the backyard or even to a beautiful park on a Sabbath afternoon and sing songs of praise and other thoughtful activities? One of the requirements our Pathfinders had was to go out in “nature” and find three things that represented God.
Some of the things kids came back with:
- water – “Jesus is the Living Water”
- a rock – “Jesus is the Rock of our Salvation” or We should build our house on the “Solid Rock”
- a heart shaped Redbud leaf – “the heart of God” or “God’s love for each of us”
- a three leaf clover – “The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”
- a vine – “He is the vine, we are the branches”
There are so many expressions of Christ in nature! This activity is fun for kids and adults of all ages. This week, when the weather is nice, why not go ahead and have Family Worship in the backyard and see how creative you can be finding the character of God all around you?
I am currently reading the book, Lessons Jesus Taught by Ellen White. Yesterday I read the following passage and felt it fit so well with this idea of worshiping in nature:
“So through the creation we are to become acquainted with the Creator. The book of nature is a great lesson book, which in connection with the Scriptures we are to use in teaching others of His character and guiding lost sheep back to the fold of God. As the works are studies the Holy Spirit flashes conviction into the mind…
We should study the Saviour’s parables where He spoke them, in the fields and groves, under the open sky, among the grass and flowers. As we come close to the heart of nature Christ makes His presence real to us, and speaks to our hearts of His peace and love.
And Christ has linked His teaching, not only with the day of rest, but with the week of toil. He has wisdom for him who drives the plow and sows the seed. In the plowing and sowing, the tilling and reaping, He teaches us to see an illustration of His work or grace in the heart. So in every line of useful labor and every association of life, He desires us to find a lesson of divine truth. Then our daily toil will no longer absorb our attention and lead us to forget God; it will continually remind us of our Creator and Redeemer. The thought of God will run like a thread of gold through all our homely cares and occupations… We shall ever be learning new lessons of heavenly truth, and growing into the image of His purity.”
Isn’t that what we all desire? To see the face of God, to feel His presence all around us? Teach your children about the Creator. In doing so, you will both be drawn closer to Him.
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Each Wednesday, we will add a new post for A Year of Family Worship and you can do the same. Share your goals, experiences, and ideas for family worship with the rest of us!
If you don’t have a blog, you can add your comments in the comment section! You can join A Year of Family Worship here. And you can see the 52 Weeks of Family Worship here.
If you do not have a blog… you can either post your ideas here in the comments or even join our Proverbs 31 Sisters Network and get a free blog that way!
A Year of Family Worship: The Bible Story
The Bible Story Books.
You have probably seen those blue hardback Bible Story books in the doctor’s office, dentist office, or hospital. I remember my mother reading stories from them while we sat for what seemed like hours in the waiting room at the doctors office when I was a little girl. We didn’t own a set of our own back then. Well, now I have a set of my own. In fact, in our house, we have several sets and even recently purchased a set for each of our children. We found used sets on ebay.
I highly recommend you purchase a set for your own home, if you have not already! The books authored by Arthur Maxwell, are written in a classic story like fashion. The illustrations are charming. But the most important thing about these books, would have to be that they teach you the Bible! They are perfect for children and parents alike! If you are a mom, like me, who didn’t grow up with a solid knowledge of the Bible and the stories, this 10 volume set is perfect! You will learn so much from just reading the stories.
From The Bible Story Book Website:
Imagine for a moment your family sitting down together for a regular Bible story at bedtime. That’s better than some silly—or disturbing—television program, isn’t it? And it’s a wonderful influence for good…
Each short, five-minute chapter in The Bible Story can help give your children the strength to stand up to the temptations they face. Each story can help build a foundation of values upon which your children can establish happy and successful lives.
- Easy to read and understand
- 411 stories in 10 volumes
- 1,200 color illustrations
- Stories are true to the Bible
You should visit their website, and learn more. And if you can’t afford the price of new books, get some used ones! They are usually in excellent condition! These books will be a welcome addition to your Family Worship time.
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Each Wednesday, we will add a new post for A Year of Family Worship and you can do the same. Share your goals, experiences, and ideas for family worship with the rest of us!
If you don’t have a blog, you can add your comments in the comment section! You can read about A Year of Family Worship here. And you can see the 52 Weeks of Family Worship here.
If you do not have a blog… you can either post your ideas here in the comments or even join our Proverbs 31 Sisters Network and get a free blog that way!
