The Desire of Ages--56--Blessing the Children

[Dorine]

Fathers and mothers should look upon their children as younger members of the Lord's family, committed to them to educate for heaven. The lessons that we ourselves learn from Christ we should give to our children, as the young minds can receive them, little by little opening to them the beauty of the principles of heaven. Thus the Christian home becomes a school, where the parents serve as underteachers, while Christ Himself is the chief instructor.  

What a privilege and responsibility God has given to each parent. We may make mistakes as parents along the way but as long as we are following the counsel of God to the best of our understanding He will bless. I bow before God in humble gratitude for the blessings of the children He gave to me. They have shown me from infancy to adulthood my total dependence on God for wisdom in raising them. And now to be able to sit down with them and hear their personal testimonies of what God has done in their lives brings pure happiness to my soul. God stands by His promises. To God be all the glory.

[Richard Myers]

Amen dear sister and brother!  What a privilege to train up little ones to love God!

 It is still true that children are the most susceptible to the teachings of the gospel; their hearts are open to divine influences, and strong to retain the lessons received. The little children may be Christians, having an experience in accordance with their years. They need to be educated in spiritual things, and parents should give them every advantage, that they may form characters after the similitude of the character of Christ. 

Often it is very sad that children have to go through terrible situations in the home. They witness much that leads them away from Jesus. But, if the one who loves God with all of the heart will dedicate to follow the light given, God will bless the children. When we do all we can do, then we can ask God to do what we cannot do. The most important thing we can do is to rightly represent God to our children and when they are old they will not forget the lessons taught in the garden and in the home. They will also remember when we did not walk in the light of our Lord. So....we must confess our sins that our children have seen and tell them we are so very sorry for misleading them as to how our God's character is.

Hopefully we set them on a firm foundation.

[Beacon]

"Day by day as we study the life of Jesus we find that God is most interested in the development of our character."

"He wants us to have love, joy, and peace in this world and in the world to come."

"So it with our children, He instructs us how we can help them form characters after the character of our Savior."

 "We may lead them to understand the love Jesus has for them."

"The highest form of love is love that is not deserved."

"It is the joy of the worker be successful."

"By wisdom and tact he may bind them to his heart, he may give them courage and hope, and through the grace of Christ may see them transformed in character."

Are You and I willing to be a active part in the Lord's Army??  Does the Love of Jesus Shine through "US" ??

=============================

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Lyrics:Clare Herbert Woolston (1856-1927)
Music:George Frederick Root (1820-1895)

[JimB]

The grace of Christ in the heart will impart a heaven-born dignity and sense of propriety. It will soften whatever is harsh, and subdue all that is coarse and unkind.

It is easy to be kind to those who are kind to you and even easier to be rude to those who are rude to you. Its a whole another thing to respond with grace and kindness in the face harshness but this is what we can do when Christ is in the heart. A soft answer turns away wrath.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon and Brother Jim!

Let us follow God's plans in how we treat children! Jesus blessed the children as an expression of the Father's infinite love for each child! God so loves us that He gave us His Son, Jesus! Let us allow the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and minds fully in total surrender to God so all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be seen in our lives!

"As you win their confidence in you as followers of Christ, it will be easy to teach them of the great love wherewith He has loved us. As you try to make plain the truths of salvation, and point the children to Christ as a personal Saviour, angels will be by your side. The Lord will give to fathers and mothers grace to interest their little ones in the precious story of the Babe of Bethlehem, who is indeed the hope of the world." {The Desire of Ages, page 517, paragraph 1}

Jesus is our only hope of salvation. Well would it be for us to teach the little children of Jesus' love when their hearts are most impressible and receptive in their early years!

[Dorine]

Let mothers come to Jesus with their perplexities. They will find grace sufficient to aid them in the management of their children. The gates are open for every mother who would lay her burdens at the Saviour's feet. He who said, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not," still invites the mothers to lead up their little ones to be blessed by Him. Even the babe in its mother's arms may dwell as under the shadow of the Almighty through the faith of the praying mother. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth. If we will live in communion with God, we too may expect the divine Spirit to mold our little ones, even from their earliest moments.

Oh how this counsel saw me through many difficult times. Knowing I was not alone in the training of my children gave me strength and courage each step of the way. 

[Richard Myers]

What a blessing to understand how children can be led to Christ. We have been given great light. Child Guidance ought to be given to every parent.

 It is still true that children are the most susceptible to the teachings of the gospel; their hearts are open to divine influences, and strong to retain the lessons received. The little children may be Christians, having an experience in accordance with their years. They need to be educated in spiritual things, and parents should give them every advantage, that they may form characters after the similitude of the character of Christ.

[Philip T]

     As the Holy Spirit moves upon the hearts of the children, co-operate with His work. Teach them that the Saviour is calling them, that nothing can give Him greater joy than for them to give themselves to Him in the bloom and freshness of their years.   

     How wonderful, God allows us to work with Holy Spirit as it moves on the hearts of children, could we have a higher privilege than this. We need to with gentle kind hearts reflect the character of Jesus to these children, while they are young and quick to learn, that in later years they can remember the truth of God/scripture.

[Beacon]

Day by day as we study the life of Jesus we find that God is most interested in the development of our character."

"He wants us to have love, joy, and peace in this world and in the world to come."

"So it with our children, He instructs us how we can help them form characters after the character of our Savior."

"We may lead them to understand the love Jesus has for them."

"The highest form of love is love that is not deserved."

"It is the joy of the worker be successful."

By wisdom and tact he may bind them to his heart, he may give them courage and hope, and through the grace of Christ may see them transformed in character."

Are You and I willing to be a active part in the Lord's Army??  Does the Love of Jesus Shine through "US"
 to our children at home and at church??

=========================

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Lyrics:Clare Herbert Woolston (1856-1927)
Music:George Frederick Root (1820-1895)
[/b][/b][/font][/color]

HAPPY SABBETH TO ALL GOD'S FAMILY ON EARTH AND THROUGH OUT THE UNIVERSE

[Dorine]

Fathers and mothers should look upon their children as younger members of the Lord's family, committed to them to educate for heaven. The lessons that we ourselves learn from Christ we should give to our children, as the young minds can receive them, little by little opening to them the beauty of the principles of heaven. Thus the Christian home becomes a school, where the parents serve as underteachers, while Christ Himself is the chief instructor.  

This chapter always melts my heart. It takes me back in years to the wonderful privilege of raising two girls for Christ. With the aid of the bible and the book "Child Guidance" I watched as God worked miracle after miracle in the hearts of my children. Not without mistakes on my part did they become adults who love Jesus and His church. God longs to guide  parents in the teaching of their children to love, obey and serve Him.

[Richard Myers]

Amen my friends! What an opportunity we have with the little ones! The Holy Spirit will work with us!

    As the Holy Spirit moves upon the hearts of the children, co-operate with His work. Teach them that the Saviour is calling them, that nothing can give Him greater joy than for them to give themselves to Him in the bloom and freshness of their years.   
     The Saviour regards with infinite tenderness the souls whom He has purchased with His own blood. They are the claim of His love. He looks upon them with unutterable longing. His heart is drawn out, not only to the best-behaved children, but to those who have by inheritance objectionable traits of character. Many parents do not understand how much they are responsible for these traits in their children. They have not the tenderness and wisdom to deal with the erring ones whom they have made what they are. But Jesus looks upon these children with pity. He traces from cause to effect. 

[Beacon]

"Day by day as we study the life of Jesus we find that God is most interested in the development of our character."

"He wants us to have love, joy, and peace in this world and in the world to come."

"So it with our children, He instructs us how we can help them form characters after the character of our Savior."

 "We may lead them to understand the love Jesus has for them."

"The highest form of love is love that is not deserved."

"It is the joy of the worker be successful."

"By wisdom and tact he may bind them to his heart, he may give them courage and hope, and through the grace of Christ may see them transformed in character."

Are You and I willing to be a active part in the Lord's Army??  Does the Love of Jesus Shine through "US" ??

==========================

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Lyrics:Clare Herbert Woolston (1856-1927)
Music:George Frederick Root (1820-1895)[/b][/font][/size]

[Dorine]

In the children who were brought in contact with Him, Jesus saw the men and women who should be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, and some of whom would become martyrs for His sake. He knew that these children would listen to Him and accept Him as their Redeemer far more readily than would grown-up people, many of whom were the worldly-wise and hardhearted. In His teaching He came down to their level. He, the Majesty of heaven, did not disdain to answer their questions, and simplify His important lessons to meet their childish understanding. He planted in their minds the seeds of truth, which in after years would spring up, and bear fruit unto eternal life.

Raising children for Christ is the most precious and important work that can be done for the Master. Follow Him as He ministered to the mother's and blessed their children. What comfort comes from knowing His heart is open to the childish perplexities that trouble the little ones. He loves to hear their happy voices in song and praise. Mother's will find great refuge in knowing that Christ is beside them in the raising of their children.

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear sister and brother!  I noticed something today, I had not seen before.

As you win their confidence in you as followers of Christ, it will be easy to teach them of the great love wherewith He has loved us. As you try to make plain the truths of salvation, and point the children to Christ as a personal Saviour, angels will be by your side. The Lord will give to fathers and mothers grace to interest their little ones in the precious story of the Babe of Bethlehem, who is indeed the hope of the world.   

"It will be easy."   Such a promise we have been given!!  Yes, there is a condition as always.   We must first win their confidence as we are followers of Christ!

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon, Sister Dorine, and Brother Richard!

Connect with Christ so He can reach others through you! Children are precious to the Lord!

"The Christian worker may be Christ's agent in drawing these children to the Saviour. By wisdom and tact he may bind them to his heart, he may give them courage and hope, and through the grace of Christ may see them transformed in character, so that of them it may be said, 'Of such is the kingdom of God.'" {The Desire of Ages, page 517, paragraph 6}

A transformed character is a gift from God--revealing all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we gladly obey the light of truth God has revealed to us. Only by a living union and communion with Christ is it possible to have this experience as the result of fully surrendering to Him moment-by-moment! Be a faithful child of God to win others to Him, too!

[Richard Myers]

Amen Pastor Sean. There are many children who are open to learning about Jesus. More so than with adults.

  In the children who were brought in contact with Him, Jesus saw the men and women who should be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, and some of whom would become martyrs for His sake. He knew that these children would listen to Him and accept Him as their Redeemer far more readily than would grown-up people, many of whom were the worldly-wise and hardhearted. In His teaching He came down to their level. He, the Majesty of heaven, did not disdain to answer their questions, and simplify His important lessons to meet their childish understanding. He planted in their minds the seeds of truth, which in after years would spring up, and bear fruit unto eternal life. 

[Richard Myers]

The Saviour regards with infinite tenderness the souls whom He has purchased with His own blood. They are the claim of His love. He looks upon them with unutterable longing. His heart is drawn out, not only to the best-behaved children, but to those who have by inheritance objectionable traits of character. Many parents do not understand how much they are responsible for these traits in their children. They have not the tenderness and wisdom to deal with the erring ones whom they have made what they are. But Jesus looks upon these children with pity. He traces from cause to effect.