Dear Brethren especially to all Children in Church,
A blessed and joyful Children’s Day! Thank the Lord for all the children in Church. It is a great blessing to see our young ones bubbling with energy and abounding in curiosity. The Lord is good to give our Church young and little boys and girls in our midst. Thank God for our Tabertots and Little Ark Sunday School classes that they can attend to learn the Word of God. The Lord bless all the teachers in your labour of love. I want to share the following important spiritual lessons for all our children to remember.
God has no grandchildren
Many of you have parents who are Christians and brought you to Church since you are a baby. But coming to Church does not make you a Christian. Having parents who are Christians does not make you a Christian. Knowing many Bible stories does not make you a Christian too. You cannot depend on your Christian parents to bring you to Heaven. Neither can their faith in Jesus save you. Remember God has no grandchildren!
You must personally believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour in your heart. If you truly have asked Jesus to forgive your sins from your heart and put your faith only in Him, then God will receive you and make you to be His own children. This is the only way you can go to Heaven through Jesus Christ. Only Jesus Christ can save you because He paid the penalty of your sins by dying on the cross for you. Have you personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? Today let it be the day of your salvation.
Do not play Church
What is your reason for coming to Church? Do not come to Church to play and have fun with your friends only. Do not come to Church just because your parents bring you here. You must know why you come to Church. The reason is that God has saved you and you belong to Him now. As His child, you will want to worship and obey God. The Bible tells you to keep the Sabbath Day holy. Therefore you come to Church every Sunday to worship God and praise His Name. You want to honour God and be faithful to Him. In every worship service, do not day-dream and fall asleep. Be serious and pay attention in the worship service. You can learn as much as any adults if you desire for God to teach you.
Are you thankful for your Sunday School classes in Tabertots and Little Ark? There are many Christians in other countries who do not have such opportunities and privileges to learn the Word of God. You must thank God for your teachers and pray for them. You must be the best student to listen to the teacher and learn the Word of God seriously. Your learning must not just be in the mind but also in your heart. Obey the Word of God every day!
Honour your Parents
If you look at a baby today, remember you were once a small tiny baby. Your parents brought you up with much effort, sleepless nights, tears, worries, and most importantly, love. I have seen many children talking to their parents very rudely and sometimes even shout at them. When you don’t get your way, do you turn an angry face at your parents and throw tantrum? If you do such things to your parents, you have sinned against God. The Bible commands us to honour and obey our parents (Eph 6:1). God gives you only two persons in this world as your parents. They are the closest to you. They love and care for you deeply. Obey the Lord by always honouring them, praying for them, obeying them and showing your love to them
“Lazy Christian” is not found in the Bible
To be in school is a blessing that God gives you. There are many children in this world who do not have a school to attend. Yet, it is so sad to see many Christians who are lazy and do not do their homework as a student. Do you know Christians are always known to be diligent and hardworking? Whenever you are tempted to be lazy, the Bible tells us to look at the ant (Prov 6:6). God made the tiny ant to teach us a lesson to be diligent and wise. The ant is always working hard looking for food and prepare well for the future. How about you? Shine for God in your school with a good testimony by studying very hard to the glory of God, and not for yourself to show off.
I pray all our young boys and girls will grow up to be man and woman after God’s own heart. Children, may this be your prayer too as you celebrate Children’s Day!
Elder John Leong