Kids, sin, and Jesus

Today the kids and I were sitting at the table eating a delicious meal of pizza toast and carrots (yeah we're a 5 star home...), when Jonas popped out a question.

"Mom, why did Jesus die on the cross?"

I gave him a simple explanation, but that wouldn't cut it. "How did Jesus take the sins away?" he asked again.

Then an idea popped into my head (thank you Jesus). I got up, and I grabbed a plate, a pizza sauce, a clean clear cup, and a white paper towel. Then I poured some pizza sauce onto the plate. They kept asking "what are you doing with those mommy?" The suspense was killing them, muahahahaha!

I said, ok guys, this paper towel is God, and this cup is us, people. God created us to enjoy him and have a relationship with him. He did say though, do not sin against me (then I told them that the pizza sauce was sin). So I held the cup and paper towel in my hands and pretended they were walking together. Then the cup noticed the sauce. It looked so good! Then the cup rolled in the sauce and got very dirty.

I explained to them that the white paper towel could not be around sin so there was separation. But, because God loved us so much He came down to us. When He was put on the cross he took our sins. At this point I began to clean away the pizza sauce off of the cup. So the cup was all clean, but the towel was very red and dirty. I explained to them that Jesus took our sins on Himself, then when He rose again, He got a new clean body, so He isn't dirty anymore! And I folded it up, so the red disappeared.

It was sad to explain that some people don't care that they are covered in sin. Some don't even know that they are! And though Jesus wants to wipe them clean, they haven't asked. So they stay in sin and separation.

It was so enjoyable to see how such a simple example made them understand just a little bit more.

I am so grateful for such a simple way to show the gospel to my kids and I just praise Jesus for a moment of listening to His voice. I just pray with everything in me that they continue to grow and understand the amazing sacrifice He gave, but also that He is alive and willing to save by grace through faith.

O LORD, please touch my little ones hearts. Help me LORD to be aware of Your guidance. All for Your Name Jesus.

Amen.

Open My Eyes

At the beginning of March I began doing a Bible read through the New Testament, and I must confess sometimes it is hard to have fresh eyes while reading the stories I have heard since I was a little girl. I have found though that I can ask God to show me new things (Psalm 119:18 "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.") or even forgotten things in His word as I read, and He is so faithful in answering me. It has been such a blessing to read and rediscover who Jesus is. It is so amazing. Jesus is the exact representation of God (Hebrews 1:3), and I can read about who He is in the gospels and all throughout the New Testament. God has made Himself known.

That is a heavy statement in and of itself. God. The Creator of everything known and unknown, has revealed everything we need to know about Himself in His Word, Jesus (John 1:1).

A couple days ago, as I was reading, I came to the story in Mark 10:17-31, about a rich young man. And those of you who know the story can probably understand why when I came to this story, it took everything in me to not just skim over it. It's so sad. It's hard for me to hear. It always makes me feel like I should be doing more. So I began to ask God to reveal wonderful things to me in His word.

He did.

The man comes to Jesus, falls on his knees before Him, and asks, "what can I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answers, "You know the commandments: 'do no murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" The man says that he has kept all those things since he was a boy.

This is where it begins to get interesting...

Mark 10:21 says "Jesus looked at him and loved him." Jesus already knew the man's heart, and yet He loved Him. Jesus loved Him enough to tell him what He lacked. "'One thing you lack,' says Jesus. 'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'

At this, the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth."

This is usually the part where my heart gets distressed.

"Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!'"

Thoughts began swirling in my head... Darren and I do give, consistently, frequently, and our hearts feel happy and generous in it... But we haven't given away everything. What does this mean? Lord, am I even doing enough for You?

But I kept trudging along in my Bible reading, and then something that truly I hadn't paid much thought to before gave such hope!

Verse 24, "The disciples were amazed at His word. But Jesus said again, 'Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, 'Who then can be saved?'

"Jesus looked at them and said 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'"

All things are possible with God. Wow. All things are possible with God. It was as if Jesus pointed to that man and said, "You are not going to make it! Shoot! It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for you to follow a few commandments and be clean of all guilt! But, God so loved you, that He sent me, that you may have ever lasting life."

Praise the LORD. Isn't it so wonderful to know that our God is faithful? He truly has saved me. Not because of the good I have done or will do, but by His grace. I'm truly so thankful.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." -Ephesians 2:8-10