Vol. 1 Iss. 1

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INDEX: New Testament Lesson - John the Baptist's Disciples Are Jealous (John 3:22-36) Old Testament Lesson - Joseph Reveals Who He Really Is (Genesis 45) Character Lesson Memory Text Nature Lesson - Light vs. Darkness Health Lesson - Body Parts: Neck Coloring Page Matching Atbash Unscramble Learning Activities PICTURE: A single pillar, automatically tiled in the index box, represents "the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)..

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON

John the Baptist’s Disciples Are Jealous (John 3:22-36)

After the night with Nicodemus, Jesus and his disciples took a journey into the land of Judaea. There, Jesus spent much time with them and people were being baptized.

John was also baptizing in the waters of Aenon, which is near Salim. The reason he chose this spot is because there was much water there, which baptism requires. And the people came to John and were baptized. This was while John was still a free man to come and go as he pleased.

Soon there was a question being asked between some of John's disciples and the Jews about baptism or purifying, but John’s disciples had no answer.

So they came to John and asked him, “Rabbi, the person that was with you beyond the Jordan River, which is the one who you witnessed for, this same person is baptizing, and all the people are coming to him.”

John tried to tell his disciples not to be jealous. He did this by saying, “A man can receive nothing except if it is given to him from heaven. You heard me say that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before him. The one that has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom [which is the best man] stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This is when my joy is fulfilled. Jesus must increase in attention, but I must decrease in attention. Jesus that comes from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. Jesus that comes from heaven is above all. And what he has seen and heard is what he tells about. And no man [that thinks of himself] receives Jesus’ testimony. A person that receives Jesus’ testimony believes that God is true. God the Father has sent Jesus to speak the words of God. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into Jesus’ care. He that believes on the Son of God has everlasting life. He that believes not the Son of God shall not see eternal life but will see the wrath of God.”

PARENTS: Young children love repetition and so they will love to hear this story over and over again. We did our best to include something for all ages so where necessary, please assist your child or adjust it to make it more their level.

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON

Joseph Reveals Who He Really Is (Genesis 45)

Remember, Judah was in the middle of pleading with Joseph, not knowing it was Joseph, if he could take the place of Benjamin. Benjamin was being punished because Joseph’s cup was found in his bag.

Then Joseph could not pretend anymore and he cried out, “Everyone leave!” And all of Joseph’s men left, leaving him alone with his brothers. And Joseph made himself known to his brethren. And Joseph cried out loud that the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father alive still? But his brothers could not answer him because they were troubled knowing that Joseph was before them.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me.” And they came near. And he said, “I am Joseph your brother whom you sold to Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves. You sold me here because God sent me before you to preserve all of our lives. These two years has the famine been in the land and there are yet five more years of famine. So it was not you that sent me here, but God, He has made me a father to Pharaoh, ruler of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Now quickly go get my father and say to him, ‘Your son Joseph is a ruler in Egypt. Come down quickly. You will live in the land of Goshen and be near me -- you and your children and children's children, and your flocks and herds. Bring all that you have. Tell my father all that ye have seen.”

And Joseph fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept. Benjamin wept upon his neck. And Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. And after that his brothers talked with him.

And Pharaoh found out about what was happening and was happy for Joseph. Even the servants of Pharaoh’s house were happy. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers to go home to Canaan and get your father and the rest of their family. And then they can come down here because I will give good land of Egypt, and you shall eat well. Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives. The good of all the land of Egypt is yours.”

Joseph’s brothers, who were the children of their father, Israel, did as was told to them. And Joseph gave them wagons according to Pharaoh’s command and even gave them food for the journey home. They also had changes of clothing. But Joseph gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. To his father he sent ten mules with the good things of Egypt, and ten donkeys with corn, bread, and meat.

And the brothers left Egypt and went to the land of Canaan to their father and told him, “Joseph is still alive. He is governor over all the land of Egypt.” Israel's heart fainted because he did not believe them. And they told their father all of the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. And when their father saw the wagons, which Joseph sent, Israel started to believe. And he said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

CHARACTER LESSON

When the disciples of John came to him bringing questions that the Jews asked, they did not realize that the Jews were asking the questions to stir up rivalry or jealousy. This teaches us that we need to be careful in trying to answer everyone’s questions or in expecting an answer for every question we may have. Sometimes questions are best left not answered, especially those that deal with unknown things about God. Trying to answer such questions can lead people to believe there is no God. If one believes that, then there is no hope.

When the question was finally asked to John, jealousy was now entering the hearts of his disciples, which is wrong. They were jealous that more people were being baptized by Jesus than by John the Baptist. This teaches us that sometimes other people are chosen to do a more important job or a bigger job, but we must be satisfied and do exactly what God has asked us to do, using our parents sometimes as the voice of God, like when you are told to clean up your room. It may not be as important to you as another job, but if done correctly and right away, God is pleased.

John then spoke to his disciples in a manner to tell them not to be jealous. John the Baptist, having the most important job until Jesus arrived, could have easily given in to the jealousy, but instead, he said that his work must decrease while Jesus’ increases. That is because he thought about what God wanted and not himself. We should always think of what is best for God and what is best for others.

Joseph telling his brothers who he was and telling them not to blame themselves for selling him to Egypt was really nice. They did a mean thing to him by selling him to Egypt. He could have been mean to them or even had them put in jail for doing such a thing. Joseph forgave them because he was not blinded with revenge, instead, he saw the full purpose of God in the matter. This teaches us never to seek revenge, instead, the Bible teaches us “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Now this does not mean corrections are not to be given, but the hand of correction should be done in a correct way. Hurting a brother or sister because they hurt you is not the correct way. On serious matters, taking it to the parents is the correct way to handle it.

Pharaoh willing to give the best land to Joseph’s family showed how much Pharaoh appreciated Joseph’s good work and how kind he was towards Joseph. For this to happen means that Joseph must have done everything correctly, timely, and rightly. We need to do all that we do in a correct, timely, and right manner.

Israel, Joseph’s father, not believing that his son was alive tells us that Israel had been lied to from Joseph’s brothers before. The trust had been broken. This teaches us to always tell the truth.

NEW TESTAMENT MEMORY TEXT: John 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

OLD TESTAMENT MEMORY TEXT: Genesis 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

NATURE LESSON

DONKEY

Joseph sent twenty donkeys to his father full of good things from Egypt.

Donkeys are known for carrying heavy burdens. “They get the job done but seem to focus on little else. Donkeys deliver, but often work longer hours than others and sometimes are stubborn. Donkeys work hard. They carry heavy loads and won't balk at tedious routines. With cooperative teamwork, donkeys go the extra mile. When change is afoot, they hunker down with familiar tasks. They like knowing in what direction things are going.” (Provided by: Working Diplomacy, Karen Joffe)

If we are thinking about how we can keep all the things we have without sharing and seeing how we can get more things to keep for ourselves, this is considered a heavy burden. Jesus tells us to not be like donkeys in this respect because we will be very unhappy in life and have no hope for eternal life. Jesus says to come to Him, meaning to learn how Jesus is and be like Jesus. He was always sharing and looking for ways to help others. When we do this, we will stop carrying the heavy burden of selfishness. (Based upon Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”)

Now that does not mean we cannot learn good things from donkeys. When we come to Jesus, we begin a different type of work. Sometimes it seems to be the same thing over and over like doing chores. This is called a routine. Sometimes we are asked to do difficult things and when we feel like giving up, we keeping on going. Jesus also has a work for us to do, but He says, “is easy” and “light” (Matthew 11:30). How can the work be easy and light yet sometimes difficult? That is because when we focus on selfish things, there seems to be no end to the work. When we focus on other’s, we many times are happy instantly.

HEALTH LESSON

BODY PARTS: NECK

The neck is situated between the head and shoulders. It is the top part of the spine, which is a collection of bones that extend from the neck down to where you sit down, your bottom.

As with any part of the body, lack of use will cause that part to not work as well as it should. Some things to avoid regarding the neck include: leaning your head on your hand for support, using an improper head rest when sleeping including a pillow that lacks support, and also sudden jerks that can cause a whiplash affect. This includes certain rides at an amusement park.

Based upon information at the University of Iowa: Everyone needs strong, flexible muscles in their necks to support their heads. Stress and fatigue show up early in neck muscles and can cause pain. Not sitting correctly or lying down correctly and poor body use affecting the neck can lead to neck problems. Exercises can increase the strength and flexibility of the neck.

Here are three types of daily exercises to do with parents watching:

For neck flexibility: Sitting or standing, tuck your chin in. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Turn your head slowly and look over your right shoulder. Hold until you count to five. Return to the starting position and lean your right ear to your right shoulder. Hold it until you count of five. Repeat three times and then do the left side.

For neck strength: Sitting or standing, put your neck in a neutral position. Your head should be directly over your shoulders and you should be able to reach behind your neck and feel that you have a small curve. Slide your hand to the side of your head, and with the palm of your hand begin to press against your head. Gradually press harder, but do not let your head move in the direction you are pressing. Use your neck muscles to keep your head in the same place. Do this until you count to five, and then release slowly. Then try the other side. Then try pushing from the front. And then try pushing from the back. Try to use this neutral neck position in all your activities.

Neck relaxation: Lie on your back and support the natural curve of your neck with a pillow or small towel. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth deeply three times, expanding your chest fully each time. Gently massage the top of each shoulder with the opposite hand.

Genesis 45:3 “And Joseph said unto his brethren, I [am] Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.”

MATCHING

For each item in the first column, write in the letter for the description from the second column.

___ 1. Israel (Jacob) ___ 2. Jesus ___ 3. John ___ 4. John’s Disciples ___ 5. Joseph ___ 6. Joseph’s Brothers ___ 7. Pharaoh

A. Who did not believe at first the report that his son was still alive? B. Who started to decrease in attention? C. Who started to increase in attention? D. Who wanted to know that his father was still alive? E. Who was astonished to know Joseph was alive? F. Who was jealous over the issue of baptism? G. Who was willing to give of the best land in Egypt?

[Answers to February 2003 matching: 1=G, 2=E, 3=C, 4=B, 5=F, 6=A, 7=D]

ATBASH

[Answers to February 2003 cryptic: Each letter in the puzzle stood the place of a real letter: B=V, C=A, D=T, F=E, G=C, I=G, K=U, M=D, N=L, O=N, P=R, R=Y, S=F, T=I, V=O, W=B, Y=H, X=S, Z=M. The verse was: Genesis 44:32 “For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.”]

UNSCRAMBLE

[Answers to February 2003 unscramble: Row 1-YOUNGEST, RULER, SILVER; Row 2 - KINGDOM, MORNING, FLESH; Row 3 -SERVANTS, SPIRIT, BROTHER; Row 4 - MASTER, FATHER, HEAVEN.]

REGARDING FUTURE CRYPTIC AND UNSCRAMBLE PUZZLES: A concerned reader wrote to us regarding the source of the cryptogram game. She generated a "Thus Saith the Lord..." investigation. What we found was by Fred Cohen:

“Cryptography probably began in or around 2000 B.C. in Egypt, where hieroglyphics were used to decorate the tombs of deceased rulers and kings. These hieroglyphics told the story of the life of the king and proclaimed the great acts of his life. They were purposefully cryptic, but not apparently intended to hide the text. Rather, they seem to have been intended to make the text seem more regal and important. As time went by, these writings became more and more complicated, and eventually the people lost interest in deciphering them. The practice soon died out. Cryptology was (and still is to some extent) enshrouded in a vail of mystique to most people. It was because of this that the public began to acquaint cryptography with the black arts. It was often thought to be concerned with communication with dark spirits, and developed a bad image because of it's mentors. Most early cryptographers were scientists, but the common people were often convinced that they were also followers of the devil. “

The following Bible text came to mind when we saw Egypt in the research: Joshua 24:14-15 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

So we put our long hours of innocent work aside and chose to serve the Lord wholly. We admit this ignorance publicly because we hope everyone will do the same for whatever you may be holding onto as well. Let us all put away unbiblical things in our lives no matter how small. Remember, one little Achan in the camp that took a little loot after a battle caused a major defeat in Joshua's army on the next battle.

Acknowledging doing something wrong in ignorance, does not make one a bad person. Making excuses or pointing to someone else's known or unknown sins, justifying the wrong is what condemns. How do we know that? Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.

And if we do not say to ourselves, "I did not know that, but now that I do know it, I will cease and I am sorry for offending you in ignorance", there is only one fearful future.

Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

So we hope we have set the example for all to follow in dealing with personal enlightenment.

“Thus Saith the Lord…” Ministries will now be addressing children’s questions or provide other quizzing exercises in place of these puzzles. If you have questions, e-mail or write to us.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

1. When you lift something, especially heavy things, think about the donkeys that carried all those heavy things from Egypt to Joseph’s father.

2. If you cry or see someone else cry, think about the tears that Joseph had for his brothers. That includes tears of joy.

3. When someone goes away and you will not see them for a long time, think how Joseph must have felt not seeing his father or brothers for many years.

4. Memorize the verses on page 3.

5. If you are tempted to be jealous, think how wrong it was for John’s disciples to be jealous about what Jesus was doing.

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Vol. 1 Iss. 1

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