FrogSpot Kids

Hey kids!

Just for a minute close your eyes and try to walk around your house. No Peeking!…

You probably did kinda ok didn’t you? That’s because you know your house and so you know where the couch or chair is in the living room or where your bed is in your bedroom so you can avoid it.  But imagine that you had to walk around in some place you’ve never been before with your eyes closed. You’d bump into everything because you didn’t know what was ahead of you. Now, that would be scary!

Life is kind of like that. It’s like we’re walking around blind, ’cause we can’t see what’s going to happen next and we’re going to bump into tons of things along the way; some good, some bad and some downright dangerous.

This morning as I was reading in my Bible I read Isaiah 42 where it talks about God coming out like a mighty warrior to rescue his faithful people. God said, “I will lead the blind on roads they have never known; I will guide them on paths they have never traveled. Their road is dark and rough, but I will give light to keep them from stumbling. This is my solemn promise.”–Isaiah 42:16

Do you ever feel like you’re on an unknown path and you can’t see where you’re going? Maybe your mom and dad are divorced or about to be and you’re not sure how you’ll make it. Perhaps you are struggling with a learning disability and it seems that you just can’t figure school out. Or possibly there’s a bully who’s decided that you are a good one to abuse. Or maybe there’s something else you’re dealing with. Whatever it is, Jesus says He can lead you in the dark and rough road. He may not make other people stop doing bad things (they have to choose that themselves) but He is able to lead you safely through whatever your blind place may be. He promised!

So talk to Him and trust him. If you want to talk to a human too, you can email me. I’d be glad to try to help.

Your Friend,

–Uncle Steve

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^{(c) July 14, 2008 By Uncle Steve Severance}

I’ve been reading a really neat book about the adventures of a lay missionary who simply goes by the name Paul, although that’s not his real name. Since Halloween is coming up at the end of this month, a holiday where people celebrate ghosts, magic, witches and death, I thought I’d tell you one of the stories in this book.

Some Missionaries go to a village and stay there for many years preaching and healing and raising up a church. Others are itinerant missionaries, they go from town to town preaching for shorter periods of time, that’s the kind of missionary Paul was.

One day Missionary Paul went into a town he’d never been to before. It was a beautiful, busy seaside town; he saw a busy seaport where people from all over the world came to import their goods. He saw huge ships docked at the ports and heard snarly sea captions yelling orders in all sorts of languages to the poor slaves as they bent their backs carrying the heavy loads off the ships. He also noticed that a lot of the townspeople were big-time into witchcraft and sorcery. Witches, wizards and sorcerers scurried around the town with their charms and magic books to cast spells. People would pay them to either hurt their enemies or “help” themselves or their friends. A lot of the time they just did this to impress people or because they liked the powerful feeling it gave.

Missionary Paul wondered where he could start preaching is such a beautiful but wicked town. Finally he found a group of 12 guys who weren’t into all that witchcraft. Somewhere, probably from a Christian sailor who had come through town, they had found out about Jesus and although they didn’t know much about Christianity they were following God to the best of their ability. With all the evil spirits around in this town Missionary Paul asked them, “Have you received the Holy Spirit?”

Why, they’d never even heard of such a thing? They knew that the witches and sorcerers had evil spirits which gave them power but they didn’t know that God wants to give us His Holy Spirit, which is much more powerful than Satan’s spirit. They were excited to hear about this! He sat down with them and began to tell them all about Jesus. They listened to Missionary Paul’s every word with rapt attention. They were so excited about what they’d learned that they asked Missionary Paul to baptize them again, now that they knew the truth about how to follow Jesus and about the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent.

Missionary Paul took them to a shallow spot in the harbor, they were like tiny little toy men compared to the huge ships in the harbor, but that didn’t matter, God noticed them even if no one else did. As Missionary Paul lowered each one under the water and back up again their faces were filled with joy. Then the missionary put his hands on them and prayed that they would receive the Holy Spirit. God responded to that prayer in a BIG way. The Holy Spirit gave then two spiritual gifts, prophecy and the ability to speak in all sorts of languages. As soon as they came up out of the sea they began going from sailor to sailor, captain, to captain, slave to slave telling them the good news about Jesus in that person’s own language!

This certainly did get the people’s attention! The townspeople were eager to hear about this wonderful new religion that gave people the ability to talk in anyone’s native tongue. Missionary Paul found a lecture hall and began giving Bible studies the every day. The people flocked to hear him.

Now, you’ve probably heard about witches and wizards. You’ve probably heard of the book and movie series called Harry Potter. These kinds of books make witchcraft seem fun, exciting and harmless. In these books child wizards go on all sorts of exciting adventures using their special powers. But what they don’t tell you is that wizards are working for satan. And while satan can seem nice and fun in order to catch you, once he’s caught you he does a lot of hurtful things.

Since this town was filled with people who were into witchcraft, Satan was able to do a lot of really bad things. In fact he had gained so much control over many of the people that they became demon possessed. A demon controlled everything they did! If the demon said “go there” they did, if the demon said, “cut yourself” or “burn yourself” they did! Everyone was very afraid of demon possessed people.

Sometimes the demons would use their superhuman strength to hurt people. They may throw the person they possessed into a fire to burn them, just to hear them scream in pain, or they may use the possessed person to attack someone and beat them unmercifully, and since demons are stronger than humans the people had no way to escape.

Many of these demon possessed people were sorry that they had let the demons take control by playing with witchcraft. They didn’t like to be hurt or burned by the demons, they didn’t like to have to do everything the demons told them to, they didn’t like hurting other people, but they couldn’t do anything about it. They were helpless.

When Missionary Paul saw some of these people He said, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you, evil spirits, to come out!” and the Holy Spirit, who is more powerful than satan’s spirit, drove the evil spirits out! Now they were free! Sick people also came to the missionary and Jesus healed them through Paul. In fact, so many people needed to be healed or set free that people would just take a handkerchief or another item of clothing that Missionary Paul had touched to the sick or demon possessed people and they would be healed!

The townspeople were amazed, they thought this Missionary and His God were really cool; but they weren’t willing to totally give up on their witchcraft. They would say they were following Jesus, in order to get the benefits but they were still trying to follow their old ways too. That’s called taking the name of the Lord in vain which is against third commandment (see Exodus 20:7)!

Well, one day, seven boys came upon a demon possessed man. Wanting to get in on the action one said, “Hey, let’s cast the demon out using Jesus’ name just like missionary Paul and those 12 Christians do!”

“Yeah! That’s a great idea, that’ll make us powerful!” they all chorused.

So in their most important sounding voice they said, “In the name of Jesus Christ, whom Paul preaches about, come out of that man!” But instead of leaving, the demon talked back to them!

“Jesus I know, and I know Paul, but who are you?” then he jumped on all seven of them with superhuman strength and beat them mercilessly. In trying to escape they ripped their clothes off and ran away, leaving their clothes behind.

When word of this got around town all the people were afraid. They realized that they needed to give proper respect to Jesus and not just use him for their own good. They realized that they couldn’t mix Christianity with witchcraft. That night some of the leaders in the town built a big huge bonfire and all the witches and wizards and sorcerers, as well as all the people who just like to “play around” with the devil, brought their magic books and burned them in the fire; to show that they weren’t going to have anything to do with the evil spirits anymore. They wanted Jesus and His Holy Spirit only!

This month, as most of the people around you celebrate Halloween. Please remember that, even though it may look fun and harmless, witchcraft and ghosts never are. You cannot mix God’s things and Satan’s. It’s not safe! And if you already have some Halloween things or any other thing that comes from satan, throw it away! Or ask your parents to help you burn them. Use this time of great evil to pledge total allegiance to Jesus and ask His Holy Spirit to come to you!

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^{(This story is from the Bible book of Acts 19.)}

This year’s Camp meeting theme is, “Pioneering on the Gospel Trail.” We’ll learn about Pioneers in the Bible, in America and even today.
 

When: June 1-4, 2011

Where: College View Church, 4801 Prescott Ave., Lincoln, NE 68506. Click here for a map. 

Who: All kids ages 7 through 9. (there will be programs for all ages 0 through adult but Frogspot’s pioneer program is just for 7-9 year olds)

Schedule:

• Wednesday, 7:30 - 9:00PM
• Thursday 10:30 – 12:00
• Thursday 2:00 – 4:00 PM
• Thursday 7:30 – 9:00 PM
• Friday 10:30 – 12:00
• Friday 2:00 – 4:00
• Friday 7:30 - 9:00 PM
• Saturday 10:00 - 11:00
• Saturday Worship Service: 11:15
• Saturday 7:30 - 9:00 PM 

Cost: Free

For more info about the whole campmeeting program or to reserve a free room: click here.

Hey Kids! Here’s an interesting true story written by Missionary Braden Pewitt, a missionary to the Pnong people in Cambodia. For more stories by Missionary Braden click here.

–Uncle Steve

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“I saw you last night in my dream,” Lokru shouted to me with excitement.  “You came just as you are now.  I saw you with your helmet on and your jacket and your scarf.  This is exactly like my dream!  You are here just like in my dream.”

I had come to visit Lokru and his family since I knew they still mourned the recent passing of Kruweh, their father and husband.  I knew each night they lay restless, waiting for the certain attacks of the demon sorcerers.  I’d been praying for them and I came once again to assure them that Chief God was with them and would keep them safe.  “We haven’t yet seen the soul-eating sorcerers,” Pumrok explained.  “Fortunately we still have a number of people staying with us from night to night.”  I nodded my head in relief.

I had also come to assure Lokru that I would support him financially so that he could continue the teachers training courses his father and mother had already sacrificed so much for.  His face lit up.  “I’m so happy!” he exclaimed.  “I so want to become a teacher.  I promise I will study hard and do my very best.”  And that’s when he said, “I saw you in my dream last night.  My dream came true!”

Chills raced up and down my spine as I realized once again that Chief God had prepared the way before me; that in fact, I had come right on time just as He wanted.  I suddenly understood the sudden idea that had popped into my head the evening before: why not go to Boan Village before breakfast in the morning?  That idea hadn’t been my subconscious playing tricks.  It in fact had been the voice of God.  Wow!  “Thank you God for directing me once again.  And help me to be more open next time.”

But Lokru wasn’t the only one who had dreamed the night before.  When I stepped into Liu’s hut, she was beaming.  “Chief God came to visit me last night in my dream,” she told me.  “He arrived with the chief in a car and then walked here to my hut.  I recognized Him.  I invited Him in and He stepped into my hut.  I reached for His hand and He shook it.  [The traditional Pnong greeting].  I offered Him a drink and He drank with me.  It was Chief God for sure.  I recognized Him.  He was like you!”

I glanced at the place Liu was pointing to on the raised platform.  Chief God had been here!  He had sat with this widow in her tiny hut right here on this spot.  Suddenly chills tickled more than my spine.  My entire body was trembling with excitement and joy.  For my God, my Friend, my Guide, had been here with this woman just a few hours before.  I glanced around the dark hut.  And he’s here now, I thought to myself.  He’s right here with us now.

“He was like you,” she had said.  I still don’t know what she meant.  Did I somehow remind her of Him?  I hoped so.  Did my love seem familiar when she saw Love Itself walk through her door?  Once again I hoped so.  But whatever the case, she recognized Him when she saw Him.

Please pray for these Pnong people.  We’re leaving the province again.  This time we have meetings in Thailand with AFM, a few days of buying supplies, and a week of family vacation.  We won’t be back until the end of next month.  But as you can see, God can speak to these people without us even being around and sometimes He uses the times we are away to do His greatest work.  Please pray for Lokru, Pumrok, and their family as they still watch the shadows for the jyaks, the soul-eating sorcerers.  Please pray that they find Chief God there instead and give Him praise.  Please pray for Liu.  Chief God is obviously sharing Himself with her right now.  Pray that during this next month she will welcome His presence even more – not only into her hut but also her entire life.

Love,

Braden, Johanna, Keenan & Jaden

Congratulations to ministry-to-children.com website on their fourth birthday! It seems like it’s been just a short time since I found them and began following their site. I guess I must have gotten in on the ground floor of this site! For those of you who don’t know about Ministry-to-children.com, it’s a great resource for all things children’s ministry. I especially like the discussion/comment threads that they do occasionally.Today today they’re throwing a birthday party. if you want to check it out it’s at http://ministry-to-children.com/birthday-party/