LEADING A CHILD TO CHRIST
A facebook friend of mine recently updated his status and in which he challenged his friends and fellow youths to lead their children to CHRIST. He said, inter alia, "Your parents took you to CHURCH; (you must) take your children to THE LORD." It was deeply touching, for me, more so because in more recent times I've been bemoaning the fact that, although today's society (in Nigeria) is far more "religious," and 'pentecostally' so, than Nigeria of decades ago, the fact remains that most people, today, go to church not because of WHO God is, but because of WHAT they can get from Him! Most youths are in church today, because their PARENTS are "church people," and the children have to "follow" them to CHURCH. The typical Nigerian "christian" youth, today, cannot, articulately, present the MESSAGE OF CHRIST! For the simple reason that HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT MESSAGE! We've got to the point where many pastors don't even know that message! Yes! What we've got, in more places than you could probably think of, is a combination of philosophy, psychology, motivational speaking, comedy, management principles, rhymes and cliches, and so on and so forth,... EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE GOSPEL! It's THAT BAD! Today's youths in church, (and I'm talking of the very CREAM of our YOUTHS - - Senior Secondary School students, university students, undergraduates of various shades and colours), do not really know the message of THE CROSS! What they know is THEIR PASTOR, THEIR GENERAL OVERSEER, the programmes and conventions of their church,... EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE GOSPEL!
I have the priviledge of being the father of three sons, today, that I am very PROUD OF! By the grace of God, my children KNOW THE LORD! Each and EVERY ONE of them have been SAVED, BAPTISED IN THE HOLY GHOST, and SPEAKING IN TONGUES, since they were 5 or 6 years of age! Gbenga, Femi, and Oluty KNEW THE LORD IN A PERSONAL WAY, from their CHILDHOOD! Yes! I still remember Oluty running round the house as a 5 or 6-year-old kid, SPEAKING IN TONGUES all over the place! By the grace of God, my children DO NOT HAVE A "BAD" PAST! Don't misquote me! I did NOT say they are perfect! But, anyone who truly knows these guys from their CHILDHOOD would testify that THEY'VE ALWAYS, from the very time they could articulately understand adult conversation (and that's when they were about 5 or 6 years old), they've ALWAYS BEEN IN THE LORD (and not just in CHURCH)! Also, they've been serving the Lord, NOT BECAUSE THEIR FATHER IS A PASTOR! NO! But because THEY KNOW THE LORD for themselves, and they chose to SERVE HIM because they KNOW HIM and THEY LOVE HIM! Not because of what they expect Him to do for them! No! But because THEY ARE SAVED!
How do you lead a child TO CHRIST?
(1). Tell him/her that there's something important you want to tell him/her.
(Make sure the atmosphere is RELAXED, but SERIOUS, - - you and him/her alone)
(2). Let him know that there's somebody we cannot see physically, but who CREATED us. He is God.
(3). Let him know that as human beings, we are sinners by nature (i.e. we have offended God through our first parents, Adam and Eve) (don't go into details, as that would confuse a child)
(4). Let him know that because of our sin, we should go to HELL (a place of punishment, after this life)
(5). Let him know that, however, God so loves us, He does not want us to go to Hell. He has sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place and to take the punishment that we are supposed to have.
(6). Jesus has taken our punishment by dying in our place on the Cross. It happened about 2,000 years ago (a long time ago), but the BLOOD He shed on that Cross, is what God uses to cleanse us from our sin, and then God puts a new spirit in us to make us His children [Explain "spirit" very simply].
(7). Tell him that anybody who believes that Jesus is his/her Saviour, will be cleansed IMMEDIATELY by the blood of Jesus, and will become a child of God, with his name written in the book of Life.
(8). Ask him if he would like to receive CHRIST into his life so that his/her sins will be forgiven and he will become a child of God.
If he/she says "yes," then lead him/her to say the following prayer after you. (Don't rush the prayer, so that he/she can EASILY follow you:)
"Dear God, I thank you for making me. I thank you for making me a human being.
"I come to you today because I want to become your child. I confess that I am a sinner, because I am a human being. I believe that Jesus died for my sin. Wash me with the blood of Jesus and forgive me my sin. Cleanse me by the blood of Jesus right now. Give me a new spirit, and make me a child of God today.
"I thank you, Lord, that you have heard my prayer. I know I am now a child of God; my sins have been forgiven. Jesus is now my Lord and Saviour.
"Help me, Lord, to always love you and to serve you forever. Thank you for writing my name in the Book of Life."
(End of Prayer).
After the prayer, look into his/her eyes, and tell him, "Now you are a child of God. Your sins have been forgiven by God. Your name is now written in the Book of Life. Do you understand?"
He/she is likely to say "yes" or to nod his head in response to that question.
(End of assignment).
Don't try to give him/her any rules/laws as to what to do or not to do to "remain" a child of God. That would confuse him. Salvation is by faith alone, and he/she has already expressed his faith in Christ through that prayer. Just leave him and let the Holy Spirit take over. He/she is now a child of God like yourself, and you should respect the ability of the Holy Spirit to lead him/her.
You can just buy a small Bible for him/her if he does not already have one. Don't tell him you would be checking to see if he's reading it. Don't! Don't put him/her under pressure! Just leave him for God and continue your normal duties as a parent - - guiding, providing, etc.
*** This whole exercise of leading him to CHRIST should not take more than, say, fifteen minutes (or much less).
A facebook friend of mine recently updated his status and in which he challenged his friends and fellow youths to lead their children to CHRIST. He said, inter alia, "Your parents took you to CHURCH; (you must) take your children to THE LORD." It was deeply touching, for me, more so because in more recent times I've been bemoaning the fact that, although today's society (in Nigeria) is far more "religious," and 'pentecostally' so, than Nigeria of decades ago, the fact remains that most people, today, go to church not because of WHO God is, but because of WHAT they can get from Him! Most youths are in church today, because their PARENTS are "church people," and the children have to "follow" them to CHURCH. The typical Nigerian "christian" youth, today, cannot, articulately, present the MESSAGE OF CHRIST! For the simple reason that HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT MESSAGE! We've got to the point where many pastors don't even know that message! Yes! What we've got, in more places than you could probably think of, is a combination of philosophy, psychology, motivational speaking, comedy, management principles, rhymes and cliches, and so on and so forth,... EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE GOSPEL! It's THAT BAD! Today's youths in church, (and I'm talking of the very CREAM of our YOUTHS - - Senior Secondary School students, university students, undergraduates of various shades and colours), do not really know the message of THE CROSS! What they know is THEIR PASTOR, THEIR GENERAL OVERSEER, the programmes and conventions of their church,... EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE GOSPEL!
I have the priviledge of being the father of three sons, today, that I am very PROUD OF! By the grace of God, my children KNOW THE LORD! Each and EVERY ONE of them have been SAVED, BAPTISED IN THE HOLY GHOST, and SPEAKING IN TONGUES, since they were 5 or 6 years of age! Gbenga, Femi, and Oluty KNEW THE LORD IN A PERSONAL WAY, from their CHILDHOOD! Yes! I still remember Oluty running round the house as a 5 or 6-year-old kid, SPEAKING IN TONGUES all over the place! By the grace of God, my children DO NOT HAVE A "BAD" PAST! Don't misquote me! I did NOT say they are perfect! But, anyone who truly knows these guys from their CHILDHOOD would testify that THEY'VE ALWAYS, from the very time they could articulately understand adult conversation (and that's when they were about 5 or 6 years old), they've ALWAYS BEEN IN THE LORD (and not just in CHURCH)! Also, they've been serving the Lord, NOT BECAUSE THEIR FATHER IS A PASTOR! NO! But because THEY KNOW THE LORD for themselves, and they chose to SERVE HIM because they KNOW HIM and THEY LOVE HIM! Not because of what they expect Him to do for them! No! But because THEY ARE SAVED!
How do you lead a child TO CHRIST?
(1). Tell him/her that there's something important you want to tell him/her.
(Make sure the atmosphere is RELAXED, but SERIOUS, - - you and him/her alone)
(2). Let him know that there's somebody we cannot see physically, but who CREATED us. He is God.
(3). Let him know that as human beings, we are sinners by nature (i.e. we have offended God through our first parents, Adam and Eve) (don't go into details, as that would confuse a child)
(4). Let him know that because of our sin, we should go to HELL (a place of punishment, after this life)
(5). Let him know that, however, God so loves us, He does not want us to go to Hell. He has sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place and to take the punishment that we are supposed to have.
(6). Jesus has taken our punishment by dying in our place on the Cross. It happened about 2,000 years ago (a long time ago), but the BLOOD He shed on that Cross, is what God uses to cleanse us from our sin, and then God puts a new spirit in us to make us His children [Explain "spirit" very simply].
(7). Tell him that anybody who believes that Jesus is his/her Saviour, will be cleansed IMMEDIATELY by the blood of Jesus, and will become a child of God, with his name written in the book of Life.
(8). Ask him if he would like to receive CHRIST into his life so that his/her sins will be forgiven and he will become a child of God.
If he/she says "yes," then lead him/her to say the following prayer after you. (Don't rush the prayer, so that he/she can EASILY follow you:)
"Dear God, I thank you for making me. I thank you for making me a human being.
"I come to you today because I want to become your child. I confess that I am a sinner, because I am a human being. I believe that Jesus died for my sin. Wash me with the blood of Jesus and forgive me my sin. Cleanse me by the blood of Jesus right now. Give me a new spirit, and make me a child of God today.
"I thank you, Lord, that you have heard my prayer. I know I am now a child of God; my sins have been forgiven. Jesus is now my Lord and Saviour.
"Help me, Lord, to always love you and to serve you forever. Thank you for writing my name in the Book of Life."
(End of Prayer).
After the prayer, look into his/her eyes, and tell him, "Now you are a child of God. Your sins have been forgiven by God. Your name is now written in the Book of Life. Do you understand?"
He/she is likely to say "yes" or to nod his head in response to that question.
(End of assignment).
Don't try to give him/her any rules/laws as to what to do or not to do to "remain" a child of God. That would confuse him. Salvation is by faith alone, and he/she has already expressed his faith in Christ through that prayer. Just leave him and let the Holy Spirit take over. He/she is now a child of God like yourself, and you should respect the ability of the Holy Spirit to lead him/her.
You can just buy a small Bible for him/her if he does not already have one. Don't tell him you would be checking to see if he's reading it. Don't! Don't put him/her under pressure! Just leave him for God and continue your normal duties as a parent - - guiding, providing, etc.
*** This whole exercise of leading him to CHRIST should not take more than, say, fifteen minutes (or much less).
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