Let's Keep An Eye On The Children

It’s a responsibility that Jesus has given to parents and to His church. Brazilian mom Daniele Marques especially understands this after discovering one morning that her son was missing.  
Danielle said, “I woke up at 5:30 a.m., went to his room, and saw that he was sleeping normally. Then I fiddled with my mobile phone a little and got up again, at 7:30 a.m., and that’s when I realized he was no longer in his bedroom and I started to panic.”

After Googling “how to get onto a plane unnoticed,” that’s exactly what nine-year-old Emanuel Marques de Oliveira did. He snuck out of the house, into a nearby airport, got past security, and onto a Latam Airlines flight bound for the São Paulo region of Brazil. Employees say the plane had traveled about 1,700 miles before they noticed him on the plane.

After authorities investigated the security breach, they sent him back to his rightful home. They noted that Emanuel didn’t try to escape because of any negativity at home, but because he had family around São Paulo with whom he wanted to spend time.

One of the ways that we help keep an eye on children is through our focused investment in their souls. I can’t think of a better way to do that than through VBS. This week hundreds of children will be on our campus each day to hear about who God is and how much He loves us. And it is particularly important that they get this right because research shows that young children in every culture have a built-in idea of God.

Nancy Pearcey in “Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes” writes, “Psychologist Paul Bloom at Yale University reports that “when children are directly asked about the origin of animals and people, they tend to prefer explanations that involve an intentional creator, even if the adults who raised them do not.” In other words, children tend to hold a concept of God even if their parents are atheists. Psychologist Justin Barrett at Oxford University reports similar findings.

Scientific evidence has shown that “built into the natural development of children’s minds [is] a predisposition to see the natural world as designed and purposeful and that some kind of intelligent being is behind that purpose.” Even if a group of children were put “on an island and they raised themselves,” Barrett adds, “I think they would believe in God.” “It appears that we have to be educated out of the knowledge of God by secular schools and media."

It is the reason that Jesus said in Matthew 18:1-6, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

More people come to know Christ through VBS than any other evangelistic process. Will you commit to pray this week for all the children and all the workers involved? In the name of Jesus pray that the enemy will be bound from this place; pray for the protection of God over our campus; pray that the gospel message will be clear to little hearts and minds; pray that seed of salvation will be planted; pray that previous seeds will bear fruit, pray for the Holy Spirit’s presence; pray that the children will have great fun, and pray that workers will be blessed, strengthened, and themselves encouraged by VBS. And remember, God is always trying to take us someplace new. I love being your Pastor!

For God’s Glory Alone,
Pastor Ray

Image credit: Unsplash