YE3X.2 · Activity Page
Exodus 12:1-13, 21-28
Leviticus 23:4-8
Deuteronomy 16:1-8
Psalm 81:3-5
Matthew 26:17-20
John 1:29
1 Corinthians 5:7-8
1 Peter 1:19
SYMBOL - something that stands for or represents something else
PASSOVER - the day God brought Israel out of Egypt after the death angel had passed over their homes; the Bible tells us to observe it every year on its anniversary
SIN - transgressing, not keeping or breaking God's law
Five-year-old Cynthia had been wanting a puppy. Finally, on a warm summer afternoon, her dad came home with an energetic and starving puppy that he had picked up at the dog pound. Cynthia, her brother and sister, and their mom sat under a cottonwood tree in the backyard, feeding the puppy and trying to think of a good name. Eventually, Cynthia settled on Blacky — probably because the puppy was all black with white paws, a small white patch on his chest, and white eyebrows.
Cynthia took Blacky with her everywhere. She played with him. She fed him. She even put him on her bed to sleep with her at night. Blacky became a very important part of the family for many years.
Israelite families also picked out a pet to bring into their families. Once a year, every year, on the tenth day of the first month, each family would pick a perfect year-old lamb out of the flock. They would bring the lamb home and during the next four days, the lamb would become like another member of the family. Imagine feeding it, playing with it, and laughing at it running and jumping and playing with you and your family.
How hard it would be to take that little lamb and kill it! After four days, the children in the Israelite family would have become very attached to the lamb. They would have loved the lamb. But God told the father to take the lamb and kill it. Then they were to eat it.
Can you imagine how hard it would have been to eat that meat? The children in the family would have been very sad about killing it. They might have felt like refusing to eat any of it.
Why would God ask His people to take a lamb out of the flocks, to make it a family pet, and then kill and eat it? God wanted people to really understand a couple of things. First, sin costs you something. Whenever you do something that is against God's law, it will hurt you in some way. And it will cost you something to make things right after you have sinned. So that the people would completely understand the cost of sin, God had them kill the lamb. The lamb meant something to the people. It hurt to have to kill it. But the people knew that killing the lamb had to happen because they had sinned.
But what does a little lamb have to do with sin? The lamb didn't make you sin. The lamb is completely innocent. It didn't really have anything to do with your sin. And, the lamb - all by itself — really cannot make things right again after you sin.
So why did God ask the people to kill a lamb? Because the lamb became a symbol for something else. A symbol is something that points you to something else. A symbol reminds you of something else.
A good example of a symbol that you might understand is money. What gives money any value? You can't eat it. You can't wear it. It doesn't keep you warm at night. Why is money worth anything? Somewhere along the line, people decided that carrying around paper (money) was a lot easier than carrying around things that other people might want — like a chicken or six tomatoes. The money itself isn't worth anything, but because it stands for other things of value, we can use it to buy things at the store.
In the case of the lamb, it stands for something of very great value. The lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ. And that's the second thing God really wanted the people to understand. God the Father gave His very own Son to pay the price for sin. For your sin and for my sin. God wanted the people to understand what a big deal this was. Jesus Christ had to die for their sin. Just in case the people thought that it was no big deal for Jesus to die, God gave them a year-old lamb and told them to kill it. The people loved that lamb. They hated to slit its throat and watch the blood pour out because of what they had done. God wanted them to feel the same way about their sins causing the death of Jesus.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). If you can imagine how badly you would feel about killing a pet, you can imagine how much worse you should feel about causing the death of God's Son. Sin is a very bad thing. It costs you! But thanks to God, He loves you so much that He provided the Lamb to pay for your sin. As you celebrate Passover this year, think about the perfect lamb that was killed — the Lamb of God.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for providing the Lamb to pay for our sins. Help us to truly understand the cost of sin. Help us not to sin.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: Exodus 12:1-13
Monday: Leviticus 23:4-8
Tuesday: Psalm 81:3-5
Wednesday: Exodus 12:21-28
Thursday: 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Friday: Matthew 26:17-20
Saturday: Deuteronomy 16:1-8
Leviticus 23:4-8
Numbers 28:17-25
Deuteronomy 16:2-8
Ezra 1 - 6
Ezra 6:22
Matthew 16:12
John 6:48-58
1 Corinthians 4:3-8
NEBUCHADNEZZAR - a king of Babylon
DARIUS - a later king of Persia
SLAVERY - when someone is the property of another person
Britney was so homesick! She liked staying with her friends, Ben and Kate. But she wanted to be home with her own things and in her own room. Britney's mom and dad had a conference to go to and Britney couldn't go. The conference was for adults. It would have been boring for kids her age. So Britney's parents left her at her friends' house. The first couple of days had been a lot of fun. Now Britney just wanted to go home.
Today's lesson is about God's people going into captivity and wanting to go home. Many years had passed since King David and King Solomon had died. Many kings had ruled over God's people. Sometimes the kings were good kings, who loved God and obeyed Him. But other times, they were bad kings. The bad kings led God's people into doing wrong things. God's people had started following other gods. They did not do the things that make God happy. Pretty soon, the bad kings were so bad, God had to do something about it. He sent them into slavery. King Nebuchadnezzar took them captive to Babylon.
It is not nice to be a slave. You have to do what you are told all the time. You are treated more like an animal than a person. Your master does not think about your feelings. You are never free to do what you want.
Being a captive in Babylon was worse than just being a slave. It meant God's people were far from home. They were in a strange country where they knew they did not belong. They wanted to go home.
Why would God do that to His people? God loves His people. Why would He do something that would make them so unhappy? Remember, it wasn't God who caused this. It was the people who caused this to happen because of the bad things they had done. They couldn't see how bad their sin was. They could not see how awful not obeying Him was. God loved His people so much that He wanted to teach them a lesson. He sent them into a strange place where things were really bad so they would see how much they needed God.
After a long time, the people realized how much they needed God. They told God they were sorry. They repented. They stopped doing the bad things. When they turned back to God, He helped them find a way to go back home. God made the heart of Cyrus (a Persian king who conquered Babylon) soft towards God's people. He let them go.
Some of the people of God were allowed to go back to Israel. After they got settled, the first thing they wanted to do was to rebuild God's house- -the Temple. It was hard to rebuild God's Temple. It was a lot of work. And there were people who did not want God's people to rebuild it. These enemies told Darius, a later Persian king, that rebuilding the Temple would only cause more problems. But God knew His people wanted to serve Him. So God made the heart of the king of Persia, Darius, soft towards His people so they could rebuild the Temple.
When the Temple was finished, the people celebrated the Days of Unleavened Bread. This is where your memory verse comes from. It says they celebrated with joy.
Do you think about celebrating the Days of Unleavened Bread with joy? You should. It is a very special time. It reminds us that God loves us so much. He wants us to live good and happy lives. If we are not doing things that make Him happy, He loves us enough to help us see how much we need Him. Even if it means making us suffer for a little while. Remember our story of Britney? Just as much as Britney wanted to go home, God wants us to come back to Him. He wants us to come home. That's one of the pictures of the Days of Unleavened Bread: God loves us enough to make a way for us to come home to Him and put His Son, Jesus Christ, into our lives.
It's a time to celebrate with joy!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the Days of Unleavened Bread. Help me to celebrate them with joy.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: 1 Corinthians 4:3-8
Monday: Leviticus 23:4-8
Tuesday: Numbers 28:17-25
Wednesday: Deuteronomy 16:2-8
Thursday: Ezra 6:22
Friday: Matthew 16:12
Saturday: John 6:48-58
Exodus 34:22
Leviticus 23:11-22
Deuteronomy 16:9-12
Psalm 90:12
John 4:35-36
Acts 2:1-13
1 Corinthians 15:12-23
VALUABLE - to have worth
POTENTIAL - the possibilities, when there's a chance something wonderful (in this case) can happen
FREEWILL - not required, you don't have to, something done because you want to
COUNT - (two meanings) 1) to number - as in 1, 2, 3; OR 2) to make the most of something, in this case, your time, abilities, and opportunities
My dad's birthday is on August 1st. And every year I miss it. Oh, I remember it once I turn the calendar to August! But I get busy with July and doing summer things like swimming in the pool and picking ripe tomatoes and green beans out of the garden. The last week of July, when I should be making a card to send to my dad, I'm still doing summer stuff. By the time it's August, I don't have time to get a card to him. Again. So I just call him on the phone and sing "Happy Birthday" to him. Again.
There's a holy day kind of like that. It’s Pentecost. It's found all by itself on a Sunday 50 days after the Wave Sheaf Offering during the Days of Unleavened Bread. It's an important holy day. God told His people to come before Him three times a year: the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
But somehow, we manage to get busy doing spring things and let's-get-ready-for-summer things, and Pentecost is here before we've even had time to get ready for it.
So? What's the big deal? We'll still go to church on Pentecost. We're still celebrating the day. So what if it sneaks up on us? Well, it has to do with another name for Pentecost.
God introduced Pentecost to His people as the Feast of Weeks. This holy day comes at the end of seven weeks. And God told His people to count each day and each week. God said, "From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath. . .” (Leviticus 23:15-16a).
Why were they counting? What was going on during these weeks? It was the grain harvest. They were busy cutting the grain from the fields. The grain would be ground and used to make their bread for the next year - until the harvest came again. If the harvest was not good, there wouldn't be enough to eat.
When God told His people to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, He told them to count, but He also told them two other things. Leviticus 23:22 says they were not to harvest all of the grain out of the field. They were to leave some grain for the poor and the strangers to gather for food. Then, Deuteronomy 16:10 says that on Pentecost, the people were to bring a freewill offering of the same size as the blessings God has given them. If it was a great harvest, the people should bring a large freewill offering to God. If it was a poor harvest, then the freewill offering might be quite a bit less.
Did you notice that both of these things that God told His people about Pentecost had to do with the harvest of the grain? These seven weeks are all about harvest.
What did you harvest leading up to Pentecost this year? Oh, I know you probably didn't harvest grain like the Israelites did. But it's the harvest season. God gave an example for something. So what did you do with the seven weeks of harvest?
Perhaps you made a plan to talk about Jesus to someone new each week. Maybe you drew a chart to keep track of how many cards of encouragement you sent to people. Or maybe you turned off the TV and the video games and went to bed early during those seven weeks so that you could read your Bible for an extra 30 minutes. Perhaps you helped your mom make a special meal or dessert each Friday to count off the weeks. Maybe you set aside a time right after school to pray to God each afternoon about how things went at school.
Are all of these things good suggestions for the Feast of Weeks? Yes. Why? Because there's a harvest going on. Jesus told His disciples some 2000 years ago that the fields were ripe for harvest. He wasn't talking about the grain. He was talking about people's hearts turning to Him. He wants a closer relationship with people who already know Him. And He wants a relationship with those who don't know Him yet.The Feast of Weeks is a very good time to work on both of those things. With God's grace, you can tell others about Jesus. And you can do lots of things to encourage people already in the church, in your family, and even yourself. Who knows what could happen! If you make each day count as you're counting them off, the potential is great!
Then when you come before God on Pentecost, you will have something to offer Him: the fruit of your labor - for Him — over the last seven weeks.
But if you don't countdown the days and weeks, and if you don't make the days count in the harvest, there won't be much of anything to bring before God as a freewill offering.
If I forget Dad's birthday is coming again this year, that's okay. I can always call him on the phone and spend some time talking with him and sing "Happy Birthday." It's no big deal because it's just a birthday. And birthdays aren't so important.
But if I haven't made the time coming up to Pentecost valuable for God, then I'm celebrating the holy day - but missing out on how meaningful it could be to me.
So count off 50 days to Pentecost — and Make It Count!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me to use my time wisely and to Make It Count for your glory.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: Leviticus 23:15-22
Monday: Deuteronomy 16:9-12
Tuesday: 1 Corinthians 15:12-23
Wednesday: John 4:35-36
Thursday: Acts 2:1-13
Friday: Exodus 34:22
Saturday: Leviticus 23:11-12
Exodus 19:10-13, 16-20
Exodus 20:18-20
Joshua 6:16
Micah 6:8
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
1 Thessalonians 4:11-18
JUSTICE - setting up or enforcing what is right
MIRACULOUSLY - in a way that is a miracle, not normal; God's involvement is obvious
JUSTLY - in a way that is right
WITNESS -someone who testifies, says that something is true, in this case, the story of Jesus and God's grace
Josh quickly picked another leaf to put in his bag. "That's six different ones," he thought. Then Josh heard the whistle that Mrs. Gooden had blown. The whistle meant that everyone had to meet at the picnic shelter. As he started walking to it, he thought about ignoring the whistle so he could continue picking up leaves. But he knew he couldn't. It was time to leave the park to go back to school.
There is a trumpet blast on the Feast of Trumpets that is kind of like when Mrs. Gooden blew her whistle. It signals something. Do you remember learning about how the trumpet blast will signal the return of Jesus? No one will be able to ignore the trumpet blast when Christ returns. However, the trumpet call also had other meanings for God's people.
The Israelites heard the sound of trumpets in Exodus 19. God had Moses bring all the people to the foot of Mount Sinai. Smoke covered the mountain. The mountain shook violently. The ground under their feet trembled. We might call that an earthquake or a volcano! Then God called Moses up onto the mountain. There God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.
This story helps us to know about a time when the trumpet sounded. It also helps us to understand what justice means. In Exodus, the trumpet sounded before God gave the Ten Commandments. He gave us His commandments so everyone would know what is right and what is wrong. If you keep the Ten Commandments, your life will work better and you'll be happier. When you do what is right, you are doing justly. God wanted the Israelites to Do Justly. He wants you to Do Justly and obey His law.
The trumpet sounded another time when Joshua led the people to take Jericho. Do you remember this story? Joshua had just taken over for Moses and led God's people into the Promised Land. This was the new home God was giving them. God told Joshua that He would hand Jericho over to them. This is how He would do it. For six days the people would march around Jericho one time each day, not saying a word. Then on the seventh day the people would march around Jericho seven times while the priests blew the trumpets. Then the priests were to blow a long, loud blast on the trumpets. And the people were to give a loud shout. Then the walls of Jericho came falling down!
The story of Jericho also helps us to see what justice means. The people of Jericho were wicked. They didn't obey God's laws. They didn't live like God wanted them to, so God destroyed Jericho. He miraculously gave the victory to Joshua because they were wicked. Had the people of Jericho obeyed God's laws and lived right, God wouldn't have destroyed them. This is an example of God doing justly.
What does this have to do with you and the Feast of Trumpets this year? There's a verse in Micah 6:8 that says, "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Look at the first thing God requires of you. He says to act justly.
What does it mean to act justly? It means you do the things that are right. You obey God's laws. Why? Because you belong to Him and because you love Him.
There's another reason why you should act justly. When you do what is right, you are an example to people around you. Your actions are a light to people of what is right. People need to know what is right. People need to know God. They need to know God's ways. Your actions are stronger than your words. What you choose to do is a brighter light than what you say.
On this Feast ofTrumpets, think about the trumpet call. Think of it as a reminder to act justly. Consider what you do. And do the right thing.
Holy Father,
Thank you for the Feast of Trumpets that pictures our Friend Jesus Christ returning to earth to set up His Kingdom. Help your Kingdom to come soon.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: Exodus 19:10-13
Monday: Exodus 19:16-20
Tuesday: Joshua 6:16
Wednesday: Micah 6:8
Thursday: Exodus 20:18-20
Friday: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Saturday: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-18
Leviticus 16:1-34
Leviticus 23:27-32
Ezra 8:21
Micah 6:8
Matthew 5:7
Hebrews 7:25-28
Hebrews 9:24
Hebrews 10:3-5, 12-24
MERCY - to not require punishment or repayment even when it is due
INTERCESSION - to work between two people when there is a conflict
GLAZING - a coating applied to the edges of glass to seal a window
Twenty year-old Chad sat in the courtroom, thinking about his 11 year-old brother, Travis. What a mess Travis had gotten into. Their parents were on a missionary trip in Africa. Chad was to keep an eye on everything while they were gone. That shouldn't have been a problem. When they left, everything was fine. But Travis had responded to his parents' trip by getting into trouble. The first time had been no big thing. Everyone had been willing to let it go because Travis had never been in trouble. He'd always been such a good kid. Each time Travis got in trouble, fewer and fewer people were ready to let it go without some sort of punishment.
One of Travis' friends dared him to try to hit the high windows in the top of Old Man Carson's barn - with a rock. Travis hit the windows on his first try. The shattering glass alerted Mr. Carson and, this time, M.r Carson called the police. The police took Travis to the juvenile detention center. Today, Travis appeared before the judge and Mr. Carson. Chad was really worried about his little brother. What was making him act so badly?
When Travis walked into the courtroom, he looked like he had a bad night and hadn't slept at al. The sullen, angry Travis was gone. When the judge arrived, he called Travis, Mr. Carson, and Chad up to the bench. First, the judge outlined the list of all the offenses that Travis had committed - back to the first one. He said he understood that each of the previous problems had been overlooked. But, because Travis had continued to get into trouble, the judge couldn't overlook it anymore. For Travis' own good, there would be a penalty. This time Mr. Carson was very upset. As the judge said this, he looked at Mr. Carson and asked him to explain why breaking those windows was such a bad thing. Mr. Carson told Travis that those windows were for letting in light so Mr. Carson could see in the loft. The glass keeps the rain and snow out of the building, away from the bales of hay, the tools, and the structure of the barn.
For the first time, Travis turned to Mr. Carson and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have broken those windows. It was wrong.”
Everyone could see regret on Travis' face. Mr. Carson said to the judge,"Travis will have to pay for the windows. I don't have the money to have them replaced, and I'm too old to climb up there to do it.”
Chad smiled. Looking at the judge, he said, "Your honor, I'd like to fix the windows. I'll buy the glass. I'll take the broken pieces out and put new ones in. I'll make sure the glazing is solid, inside and out. And I'l paint the whole barn.”
Travis stared at his older brother. "Why would you do that, Chad?" he asked.
"Because you’re really sorry this time, Travis. You can't fix the windows yourself. And, Travis, I'm doing it because I love you.”
The judge asked Mr. Carson if this arrangement was okay. Mr. Carson nodded and said, "I reckon everyone needs their older brother.”
Everyone needs their Older Brother. That's another one of the names of Jesus Christ. When you repent and accept Jesus as your Savior, you become a member of God's family and Jesus becomes your Older Brother.
As your Older Brother, one thing that Jesus does for you is called intercession. He came to this earth and lived as a human being. He knows what it is like to be tempted. He knows how you feel. The difference is that Jesus lived a perfect life and never sinned. When Jesus went to heaven, He sat at the right hand of God the Father to intercede for us. And God listens.
There's a day that pictures this intercession. It is the Day of Atonement. On that day, the High Priest took a goat, cut its throat, and caught the blood in a bowl as the goat died. Then he took the blood into the Most Holy Place where the Ark of the Covenant was. The High Priest sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat and in front of it. This was to make atonement for the uncleanness and rebellion of the people (Leviticus 16:16). The High Priest was the only one who could go into the Most Holy Place. And the high priest could only go once a year, on the Day of Atonement.
Jesus Christ is our High Priest. But He didn't offer the blood of a goat to make atonement for our sins. Jesus offered His own blood to God the Father to pay for our sins. Hebrews 10:12 says that when Jesus "offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God." Jesus didn't take His blood into the Most Holy Place. "He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence” (Hebrews 9:24). There, seated at the right hand of God, Jesus always lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25).
We are like Travis. You and I, your parents, your family, your church, the whole world has sinned. We all sin, and we can't fix our relationship with God by ourselves. Travis couldn't fix the relationship with Mr. Carson by himself. His older brother Chad interceded for him and paid the penalty. Jesus did that for us. He shed His blood for our sins. Then He sat down next to His Father to intercede for us. That's called mercy - not having to pay the penalty when we deserve the punishment.
So what should your reaction be to the mercy God has given to you? Do you remember what we learned in Do Justly? “. . . What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). God expects you to be merciful. You should give mercy to others even when they don't deserve it. Micah 6:8 says "to love mercy." Give mercy to others because you love to give mercy and because it was given so freely to you.
As you are fasting on this Day of Atonement, think of the mercy God gave to you. He paid for your sins with His own Son. Then think about what your response to His mercy is going to be. How can you show mercy to others? You've got an entire day of fasting - not to think of what you're going to eat after sundown - but to think of ways to Love Mercy.
Dear Heavenly Father,
It can be so hard to give mercy to other people. Help me to know when to show mercy and give me the strength to do it.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: Matthew 5:7
Monday: Leviticus 16:5-8
Tuesday: Hebrews 7:25-28
Wednesday: Hebrews 10:12-24
Thursday: Leviticus 23:27-32
Friday: Ezra 8:21
Saturday: Hebrews 10:3-5
Leviticus 23:33-35
Deuteronomy 16:13-17
Psalm 27:11
Psalm 89:15
Proverbs 3:5-6
Micah 6:8
John 16:33
2 Corinthians 6:16
ENTHUSIASM - willingness and eagerness to do a job
SERVICE - doing some job for someone else's benefit
TALENTS - the abilities and gifts God has given
TEMPORARY - something that does not last long
Becky begged her mom to let her walk Maggie, their dog, around the block. "Please, Mom. You know she needs exercise. It won’t take long. Please," she pleaded.
Mrs. Walker agreed to let Becky take Maggie around the block - if Becky would take her older brother with them. Maggie was always so eager to go, she pulled at the leash. Really, it was Maggie that was walking Becky. Maybe this time, Becky would be okay. Last time she came home with skinned knees from Maggie pulling her over!
This story helps us understand the last part of Micah 6:8: "Walk humbly with your God." The same as Maggie, God wants to do something with us. But He wants to lead. He wants us to learn to follow Him and His ways. God’s ways are best and God's ways are for our good.
Too often we want to do the leading. Just like Maggie pulling on the leash. We want to do things without knowing where God wants us to go. And many times we get ahead of where God would lead us.
So how can we keep from being like Maggie, pulling ahead of God? We need to start every morning with prayer. We pray that God will lead us and help us to recognize where He's leading us. And we pray that He will help us learn not to get ahead of Him.
Becky loved taking Maggie for a walk. But she didn't like going by the house second from the end of the block. There was a big dog in the yard sometimes. She hoped that today those people would have their big dog inside the house. But, as she neared the corner, she saw the big dog lying on the front step next to its owner's chair. As she and Maggie came closer, the dog saw them. Maggie's hair stood up on the back of her neck as she started barking. The big dog started barking. Now Maggie was really pulling. She was ready to jump in and fight that other dog. Becky had all she could do to pull her down the sidewalk. And having her older brother along was no help at all. He couldn’t hold Maggie when she got excited either.
Sometimes walking with God is like this too. We have problems and we don't know what to do. Many times we make a big deal out of our problems. We moan and cry and carry on - much like Maggie's barking. We get ready to do something about the problems and that’s good. But just as Maggie didn't ask Becky if she should attack that other dog, we sometimes forget to take our problem to God. We need to remember to ask Him, first, what we should do about it. Then we need to wait for Him to show us. Many times, the things we get so upset about never even happen. God just walks us right by them. How wonderful it would be if we could just learn to trust Him and look for Him to show us what we should do when we meet problems as we're going around the block!
Becky's next problem with Maggie came when they walked along in one of her favorite places. These houses had huge trees which shaded the sidewalk. Becky loved those trees. Maggie loved the squirrels that lived in the trees. When she spotted one, she was gone. Just like that, she pulled the leash right out of Becky’s hand! She ran across one person's lawn and through their flower bed. Becky was close behind, yelling for her to come back.
Sometimes our walk with God is like this too. We find something that we like to do and we're good at, and we're gone. We are off doing what we want - without asking God to see if that's His will for us. God has given us talents. And, we should use them. He is probably very pleased if we have the same enthusiasm for service that Maggie had for chasing the squirrel. But, it would be so much wiser to ask Him where and when to use those talents! We are not bringing glory and honor to our God if we're using our talents the way we want, instead of what God wants. Like Maggie and Becky running through someone's flower bed, our own efforts (without God) can make quite a mess - even though we never meant to make a mess.
Walking the dog around the block is a good story to help us learn to walk with our God. We also learn about walking with God from the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles is like a picture. It reminds us that, just as the walk with Maggie didn't last long, our life doesn’t last forever. We are only here for a short time. But we will live forever with Jesus in His Kingdom.
When Becky walked Maggie, it was training time. This life is training time for us. We must learn to follow God. We have to let Him lead. We must trust Him no matter what problems come. We have to let Him show us the way, even when we think we’re doing something good. This temporary life won't last long, so we had better learn our lesson to walk with God now. He has something wonderful planned for those who have learned to walk humbly with their God.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me to follow you wherever you lead, trusting you to show me your way through problems as I serve you.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: Psalm 89:15
Monday: 2 Corinthians 6:16
Tuesday: Psalm 27:11
Wednesday: John 16:33
Thursday: Proverbs 3:5-6
Friday: Leviticus 23:33-35
Saturday: Deuteronomy 16:13-17
Leviticus 23:36
Ezekiel 37:1-14
John 14:1-4
Revelation 20:11-15
Revelation 21:3-7
LAST GREAT DAY - the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles-the closing assembly
CITIZENSHIP - acting in a way that is good for the people around you
Amy and Josh walked together to school. It was the last day of school for the whole summer. Amy could hardly wait to ride her bike and swim in the pool. Josh had plans to build a treehouse in the tall oak tree in their backyard. As they thought about al the wonderful things they were going to do that summer, Amy and Josh started walking faster. They could hardly wait to get to school this last day.
As the twins walked into their classroom, they could hardly believe their eyes. Mr. Lock had started taking down all of the bulletin boards and classroom posters. Everything was being put away. It was a mess!
As the day started, it was definitely not a normal day! There was an awards ceremony. Amy and Josh both received awards for reading so many books. Josh got a library award for being responsible for returning all of his books on time. Amy received a P.E. award for shooting the most consecutive baskets. Then came the last award: the good citizenship award. Only one student from each class was awarded this. So when the principal called Amy and Josh up to the front, it was quite a surprise. They both were given the award this year! The principal jokingly said that it must have been because they were twins!
The rest of the day was filled with learning activities, but students didn't sit at their desks and do any worksheets! No normal work of any kind!
At the end, Mr. Lock handed each student his or her report card. He told them to have a nice summer. Then the bell rang. Summer was here! YEA!
You have experienced the last day of school. It happens like this all over the country sometime from the end of May to the end of June. Since you know what this is like, you already know a little about what the Last Great Day is like.
It is the last holy day of the year. It comes at the very end of the Feast of Tabernacles — a week that is filled with worship, many sermons and Bible studies, and lots of fun. Although it has been a good week, it has to end. We must go home.
This is very much like our lives. Our lives should be filled with worshiping God, many sermons, attending Bible studies, and having a lot of fun. Although, overall, our lives are good, they have to end someday. If we know Jesus, then our lives have been good. If we have tried to live every day like He wants us to live, then our lives have been especially good. But whether we know Jesus or not, someday our lives will end. It's like Mr. Lock taking down all of the bulletin boards and putting everything away. It's done.
On the last day of school, there's no regular work. And that's what God told His people about the Last Great Day. No regular work was to be done. It was a day to come and worship Him. It emphasizes the end, the finishing of the Feast - and the finishing of what God is doing here on this earth.
The students are given report cards. We aren't given report cards on the Last Great Day of the Feast. Christians are judged daily on how we live our lives 1( Peter 4:17). However, "We shall all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ" (Romans 14:10) to give an account of how we have lived our lives.
The Last Great Day pictures the Great White Throne Judgment. After Christ returns and rules the earth for 1000 years, there will be a second resurrection of all the people who didn't meet Christ in the air. The books will be opened. Babies who have never had an opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior and people who have never heard about Christ will have their chance to learn of Him, repent of their sins, be baptized, and have their names added to the book of life.
Since the last Feast day is called the Last Great Day and is so meaningful, we should celebrate it with much joy! It pictures a time when God Himself will live with us in the new heaven and new earth. All things will be new.
When students have their report cards at the end of the school year, they are free! Many times students tear out of school and run all the way home! They are so excited.
If you're ever sad about leaving the Feast and your friends, think about what the Last Great Day means and how awesome it will be to live with Jesus Christ and God the Father in a world that knows no sickness, death, nor pain. At that time you'll know you've passed your tests and have a good report card. The best time ever awaits us. At last the home we've waited for will be here. How exciting! And you know what? I'm ready to run all the way home!
Dear Heavenly Father,
I know there are areas in my life where I need to make a better grade. Please help me want to choose the right way and make better grades in the things that are really important to you.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: Leviticus 23:36
Monday: Revelation 21:3-4
Tuesday: John 14:1-4
Wednesday: Ezekiel 37:1-8
Thursday: Ezekiel 37:9-14
Friday: Revelation 20:11-15
Saturday: Revelation 21:5-7
Leviticus 23:10-11
John 8:32
John 14:6
John 20:1-7, 17
1 Corinthians 15:12-23
1 Thessalonians 4:14
1 Peter 1:3-5
OFFICIAL - in this lesson, people who have a trial-related job to do in court
SWEAR - in this lesson, a strong way of saying that you are telling the truth
TESTIMONY - what you say about a person or event
RESURRECTION - coming back to life from the dead
ASCENDED - having gone up
PAGAN - people who worship a god other than the one true God, the Creator of the Universe
Mandy's class got off the bus right in front of the courthouse. It was a big building. Old. Lots of people rushed into it. They didn't look very happy either.
Mandy and her classmates were going to see how a real court works. They weren't going to watch a murder trial or anything that serious, but it would be interesting. Mandy had seen enough TV court shows that she was expecting the court officials to swear in the defendant “to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God." Once that had happened, it was up to the judge to decide if the person was really telling the truth or not.
Being a Christian is kind of like being in court. You have all of these people around you, watching you, listening to your testimony about God. You have to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God. So what you do and what you say are really important! You have to make sure it's the truth. Always. The best that you can.
Sometimes our testimony seems easy. We know what is the truth and how we should act. But what about something many other Christians may say that seems to be all about Jesus? What do we do then? What do we do about Easter?
Many people who call themselves Christians celebrate Easter every spring. They say it is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is very important! We want to make sure we celebrate that very important event. After all, we know Jesus rose from the dead.
What if someone asks you why you don't celebrate Easter? We've been told to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God. So is Easter the truth? Let's talk about it.
Did Jesus rise from the dead? Yes. That is true. Praise God! Because our Lord and Savior rose from the dead, we have the hope of eternal life with God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Did Jesus rise from the dead on Easter morning? Well, no. Not exactly. Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday afternoon, just before the First Day of Unleavened Bread. He was the Passover Lamb killed for the sins of the whole world. The Bible says Jesus would be in the grave three days and three nights. If you count three days and three nights from Wednesday evening, that gets you to the end of Saturday. Jesus would have been resurrected from the dead Saturday evening.
Jesus didn't immediately go to His Father after He was resurrected, because He was our Wave Sheaf Offering, the First of the Firstfruits. He ascended to God the Father early Sunday morning. So He wasn't resurrected from the dead Sunday morning, but He was the Wave Sheaf Offering Sunday morning.
Now you have looked at the truth and the whole truth. What about the phrase: nothing but the truth? Is Easter just about Jesus? Well, no. It was a day celebrated by pagan people a long time ago. It celebrated spring and the return of life. The pagan people saw that green things were beginning to grow again. They wanted to celebrate the return of life in the spring to their god.
Wow! What do you think would happen if you talked to a person who keeps Easter about the time of the spring holy days? You would tell about the resurrection of Jesus and how He brings life to the whole world. The other person might say, "We have a day that celebrates the return of life to earth too. When do you celebrate the resurrection of Christ?" You would talk about Passover and the Wave Sheaf Offering. The other person would say, "Hey, sometimes our celebration falls at the very same time in the spring. I can celebrate your day and my day at the same time.”
Mixing of pagan worship with Christian worship wasn't just like that. But because the ways they worshiped were similar, it made it easy to do. But, is it "nothing but the truth"? No! Not by a long shot. We are to worship no one but God.
The rest of Easter is just plain silly. Rabbits don't lay eggs that hatch into baby chicks. The Easter bunny doesn't hop around laying chocolate eggs to eat. And the Easter bunny doesn't hide colorful, little plastic eggs filled with candy for children to find Easter morning. That part of Easter is not true.
It's really funny when you think about it. Many Christians who celebrate Easter want to honor Jesus Christ. But He's the One who said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life." He wants us to celebrate a day to Him that is only truth, not something mixed with half-truths and lies. Remember, you are His witness and He expects you to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me to be a good witness for you and your Son, by always telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in what I say and do.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: John 14:6
Monday: John 20:1-7
Tuesday: 1 Corinthians 15:22-23
Wednesday: 1 Thessalonians 4:14
Thursday: John 8:32
Friday: 1 Peter 1:3-5
Saturday: Leviticus 23:10-11
Isaiah 5:20
Daniel 7:16-19
John 12:31
John 16:11
Romans 13:12-14
2 Corinthians 11:14
1 Peter 5:8
WHEELBARROW - a one-wheeled wagon used for moving heavy things
CHARACTER - person in a play, book, movie, etc.
MASQUERADE - pretend to be something you're not by changing your appearance
Laura splashed in the cool water. This was her favorite part of the creek which ran by her house. The day was hot. Laura was glad she had such a fun way to cool off. Suddenly, the sun hit the creek just right. Laura saw something shiny on the creek bottom. It was gold! As she looked around, she saw that there was lots of gold.
Over the next few weeks, Laura worked hard to get all of the gold out of the creek. As she worked, she dreamed of how life would change for her family. They would be able to buy anything they wanted! She could hardly wait! These thoughts kept her hard at work all summer .
Finally, one day she decided she had enough. She had collected bags of the gold. Now it was time to take it to the bank. She got a wheelbarrow. She put all the bags of gold in it. But it was too heavy, so in the end, she just took one bag.
The banker was a good friend to Laura. As she told him the whole story, he carefully looked at all her gold. Oh, how he hated to tell her the truth! This was not real gold. This was iron pyrite. It was also called fool's gold. It looked like gold. Many people had been fooled by it. But the fact was: it was not gold. In fact, it was not worth anything.
The iron pyrite had masqueraded as gold. It was a nasty trick. Laura was so disappointed.
Every year Halloween comes around. Little children dress up as something they are not. They go door to door and say, "Trick or treat." Sometimes the children dress up as something evil and bad. It is disturbing to think that parents let these little ones pretend they are something horrible - a witch, a scary ghost, an ax murderer, or even death itself. We want to stay completely away from things that are bad and evil. Yet on Halloween parents let, and sometimes even encourage, their children to dress up and pretend they are these really bad characters.
Some parents want to stay away from bad and evil characters, so they dress their child as a princess, a friendly ghost, a football player, or a cheerleader. Children love to dress up. Neither the children nor the parents see anything wrong with dressing up and pretending they are something they really are not.
Dressing up as something good can be as bad as dressing up as something evil. It can make you think that good always looks nice and evil always looks bad. If it looks bad, then it is bad. If it looks good, then it is good. It's a horrible trick. You know you should stay away from evil things and people. But what if you can't tell by looking whether it is good or not? What if the evil person looks nice? What if the good person looks bad? How will you know which is good and which is bad?
This is not a new problem. Satan understands how people look at what they can see and then decide if it's good or bad. That's why "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). Satan makes people think that he is good by the way he looks to them.
It's a nasty trick. But bad people have been using this trick forever. Remember Snow White eating the apple? The wicked queen dressed up as a kindly old woman. Neither the wicked queen nor the poisoned apple looked bad. Snow White would have never willingly eaten the apple otherwise.
Remember the fool's gold that Laura collected? If it hadn't been shiny and yellow like gold, Laura would never have spent hours panning it out of the creek.
Even nonpoisonous snakes look like poisonous snakes sometimes! The bull snake looks a lot like a rattler. And it can even shake its tail to sound like a rattler! The coral snake is deadly poisonous. And the king snake, which is nonpoisonous, has the same brightly colored bands — just in a slightly different order.
Satan loves to trick people into thinking that bad is good and good is bad, so be careful. Ask for God's help to understand whether something truly is good or not. Ask your parents to help you figure out if something is good or not. Stay away from Halloween. It is not something God wants us to do. There is nothing good in it. And, really, there is a lot of bad in Halloween. You may think you're getting a treat, but it could be a nasty trick in disguise.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me to be wise when deciding whether something is good or bad. Please guide my steps and my choices. Protect me from evil.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: 2 Corinthians 11:14
Monday: Isaiah 5:20
Tuesday: 1 Peter 5:8
Wednesday: John 12:31
Thursday: John 16:11
Friday: Romans 13:12-14
Saturday: Daniel 7:16-19
1 Samuel 2:30
Proverbs 3:9
Proverbs 14:31
Matthew 5:14-16
Acts 13:47
1 Corinthians 6:20
1 Peter 3:15
Revelation 22:18-21
UN-BIRTHDAY- a day that isn't your birthday, as celebrated in Alice in Wonderland
MUSE - to stop and think about a subject
TRESSES- hair
PAGAN- having to do with people who worshiped other gods
ANCIENT - from a long time ago
ASSEMBLE- gather together
It can be very hard growing up in God's church. Your beliefs are so different from what your friends at school believe. They have gotten used to you keeping the Sabbath, but they are completely confused about why you don't keep Christmas. What can you say that will help them understand?
Carrie had this conversation with herself, in front of the bathroom mirror. She could see her eyes looking back at her, pleading with herself to come up with an answer. What could she say to her friends? They certainly didn't understand why she wouldn’t want to celebrate Christmas - all the presents, the beautiful lights, the parties, the time off from school. Suddenly, she had an idea. She thought about the list of things that are attractive to her friends about Christmas. Christ wasn't top on their list. That's what she could use! Jesus Christ — the Reason for the Season. Supposedly.
As Carrie brushed her teeth, she thought about celebrating Jesus' birth. Suppose Jesus was one of her friends, living right down the street. Imagine her friends all getting together to plan a surprise birthday party. They'd have streamers, balloons, a cake, and music (Christmas music, Carrie grinned to herself, without the Christmas). They'd send out invitations. People would bring presents to give to Jesus. They'd get dressed up in their best party clothes. Then they'd all march over to His house, ring the doorbell, and get ready to yell surprise!
Oh, Jesus would be surprised all right! Especially if they did it on Christmas! Imagine having a big party for Jesus on His un-birthday. Christmas wasn't when He was born! The crazy thing about that, Carrie mused, was that almost everyone KNOWS that now. According to Carrie's mom, 40 years ago there weren't a lot of people who knew that. But it's different now. You can tell someone you don't celebrate Jesus' birthday on Christmas, and you may not get any more argument.
Carrie ran the brush through her hair and started braiding the long tresses to keep them out of her eyes. So, she thought, you surprise Jesus with a birthday party on a day that isn't His birthday. What would be His response? Surprise, for one. And kindness, because He's so Wonderful. But wouldn't He also tell all these people who are His friends that it doesn't really honor His birthday, or Him, to celebrate it on the wrong day? Would He tell them that the day reminds Him of ancient pagan festivals - especially since it's not really His birthday?
Imagine again the next year: Carrie and all of her friends get together. They talk about how much fun they had planning Jesus' surprise party. They decide to do it again — on the wrong day. They send out invitations. They make food. They bring presents. They dress up in party clothes. They all assemble outside His door to yell surprise. He opens the door. Everyone yells surprise! How many times could Carrie and her friends do this before Jesus would have enough? Yes, Jesus loves us. Yes, Jesus died for those who admit they are sinners and confess He is their Savior. But, what kind of friend honors Jesus with a celebration that isn't honoring to Him? They know better. People know Christmas isn’t when Jesus was born. But, they do it anyway, for whatever reason. Carrie could well imagine that Jesus would look at their hearts and accept whatever honor was truly intended for Him. But the relationship would suffer.
Carrie thought about hurting her relationship with Jesus. She grabbed a wash cloth to wash her face. Was celebrating Christmas worth missing out on a closer friendship with her best Friend? Carrie knew that her friends would tell her that Jesus really doesn't care what day they celebrate His birth, as long as they do it. Perhaps. But Carrie wondered if that was the real reason her friends celebrated Christmas. Was He really the "Reason for the Season"? Or were they afraid they wouldn't get the presents? Were they unwilling to give up big family get-togethers? Christmas parties? Brightly-colored lights? Whatever was their favorite part of the holiday?
Suddenly Carrie heard a loud knocking at the door to the bathroom. "Hey, are you planning to put down roots in there today?" her brother Matt called.
"Sorry," Carrie said, with a bright smile to Matt. "I've got to get to school. I have so much to tell my friends.
"So what else is new?" Carrie heard Matt mutter as he closed the bathroom door. But she just smiled. She offered God a quick prayer of thanksgiving for giving her a way to talk to her friends about not celebrating Christmas.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please give me the words to be a light to the people around me. I want them to know the truth, but I don't always have the words. Please help me say the things that will bring glory and honor to you always.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: 1 Peter 3:15
Monday: Proverbs 3:9
Tuesday: Proverbs 14:31
Wednesday: 1 Corinthians 6:20
Thursday: Acts 13:47
Friday: Matthew 5:14-16
Saturday: Revelation 22:18-21
