Scripture on the Death of God's Saints

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)

And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. (Psa. 116:15)

The LORD is my shepherd… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psa. 23:1,6)

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thess. 4:13-18)

…so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain… For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (Phil. 1:20,21,23)

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3)

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.
For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:1-8)

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. (Heb. 12:22-24)

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (Rev. 21:3,4)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25,26)

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep…
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive…
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:14,20,22,54-57)

Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psa. 73:23-26) Click here

In Memoriam: Granddad Laing

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)

Today at around 6:10 a.m. EST (11:10 a.m. BST), Mary's Grandad died. Grandad Laing was one of the nicest guys you could have met and was a loving husband, father and grandfather. In many ways he was the archetypal grandad. He would have been 89 in July.

He had been a teacher specialising in children with speech problems and trained American soldiers in sharp-shooting and night-vision equipment during WWII.

He professed faith shortly after Mary's mother's conversion when she was at college, but really manifested his faith since his own wife's conversion in her 80's. His love for God and sincere faith were evident, and he really hungered for God's Word.

He suffered from cancer toward the end of his life, although mercifully less than would be expected. He glorified God in his sickness and looked forward with joy to heaven.

God's timing was most gracious: he lived significantly longer than the doctors had estimated and only declined a week ago, just after moving into a new house with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter; although he slept most of the time during his last few days on earth and spoke hardly at all, he was able to awake at the arrival of his daughter and greet her by calling her name with joy; he survived in time to see his grand-daughter arrive from Detroit and had the strength to stay awake and interact in his limited way in the conversation on his last night on earth; and he died peacefully in his sleep at the dawn of the Lord's Day.

We give thanks to God for his gift to Mary's family of this honourable and loving gentleman, and for His grace toward him and his family in his death. May God grant Mary's family, and especially his dear wife with whom he was so inseparable, His grace and strength at this time of great sadness, but nevertheless joy that he is with His Father and Lord in glory.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thess 4:13-18)

Continued...

The One Hundred Texts of the Society for Irish Church Missions

The Society for Irish Church Missions (ICM) used a set of 100 texts in Bible clubs for children. Although these were designed for use amongst Roman Catholic children, they are suitable for teaching all children basic Gospel truths and we'll be using these with our own.

You may also be interested to know that T.C. Hammond wrote a commentary on these texts which may be found in some second-hand Christian bookshops.

You can e-mail me if you want a Microsoft Word document designed for printing these as memory verse cards. (See my profiles.) Please also note that Carine MacKenzie does "My First Book of Memory Verses".

1st Ten
1. Rom 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
2. John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
3. Matt. 11:28-30
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
4. John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
5. 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
6. 1 Tim. 2:5,6
5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time…
7. Luke 11:13
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
8. John 5:39
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
9. Mark 10:13,14
13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.”
10. Matt. 4:10
Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.”
2nd Ten
11. Rom. 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12. Rom. 5:1,2
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
13. Acts 16:29-31
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
14. John 14:13,14
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
15. John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
16. John 4:24
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
17. 2 Tim. 3:15
…and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
18. Eph. 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
19. Acts 4:12
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
20. Luke 1:46,47
46 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.”
3rd Ten
21. Psa. 51:5
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
22. John 3:3
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
23. John 6:35
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
24. Eph. 2:1
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins…
25. Luke 18:13
And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
26. Heb. 7:25
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
27. John 16:13
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
28. Acts 17:11
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
29. Rom. 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
30. Luke 23:42,43
42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
4th Ten
31. Gen 6:5
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
32. Jer. 17:9,10
9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?
10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.
33. 1 Tim. 1:15
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
34. Isa. 53:5,6
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
35. Isa. 1:18
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
36. 1 John 2:1,2
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
37. 2 Pet. 1:21
for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
38. 1 Pet. 2:2-5
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
39. John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
40. 1 Cor. 3:11
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
5th Ten
41. Gal 3:22
But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
42. Gen. 3:15
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
43. Heb. 2:14,15
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
44. 1 Pet. 1:18,19
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
45. Heb 9:22
And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
46. Heb. 4:15,16
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
47. Eph. 2:18
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
48. Matt. 22:29
Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.
49. Isa. 55:1
"Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
50. Heb. 10:14
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
6th Ten
51. Psa. 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.Selah
52. Acts 13:38,39
38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
53. Rom. 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
54. 1 John 1:8,9
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
55. Luke 24:45-47
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
56. John 15:26
"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
57. 2 Tim. 3:16,17
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
58. Acts 10:42,43
42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
59. John 6:45
It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.
60. Rev. 14:13
Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”'
"Yes," says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”
7th Ten
61. 1 Cor. 2:14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
62. Matt. 9:12,13
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
63. Rom. 1:16,17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
64. John 10:27,28
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
65. Ezek. 36:26,27
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
66. Gal. 5:22-24
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
67. Deut. 4:2
You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
68. Deut. 6:6,7
6 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
69. Isa. 42:8
I am the LORD, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
70. 2 Kings 18:3,4
3 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.
8th Ten
71. 1 Kings 8:38,39
38 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: 39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men),
72. Rom. 3:19,20
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
73. Jer. 23:5,6
5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
74. John 4:13,14
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
75. 2 Cor. 5:20,21
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
76. Heb. 9:24-26
24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another — 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
77. John 7:37-39
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
78. Isa. 8:20
To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
79. John 12:48
He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
80. Acts 3:20,21
20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
9th Ten
81. Rom. 6:1,2
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
82. 1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
83. Isa. 43:25
“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”
84. Rom. 9:12,13
12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
85. Rom. 8:14,15
14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
86. 1 Thess. 2:13
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
87. James 1:21,22
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
88. Isa. 26:3,4
3 You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the LORD forever, for in Yah, the LORD, is everlasting strength.
89. 1 Cor. 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.
90. 1 Cor. 14:19
yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
10th Ten
91. Dan. 9:18
O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
92. Phil. 3:7-9
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
93. Jude 20,21
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
94. Rom. 3:24-26
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
95. 1 Cor. 15:55-57
55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
96. Rom. 8:26,27
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
97. Luke 1:3,4
3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
98. John 20:30,31
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
99. 1 Tim. 4:1-3
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
100. Rev. 22:8,9
8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
READ 100 TEXTS (NKJV)

Catechising Young Children

My wife was just telling me at supper about walking down with the kids to the McDonnell's (another home-schooling family in our estate). My 6-year old son, Peter said to her out of the blue, "Mommy, God made me and everything. God made the world to glorify him. God is an invisible being who does not have a body like us." (My boys currently have a fascination with metaphysics.)

This is part of the joy of a fully-integrated Christian education. (But then it's nothing new. It's what my Mum and Dad got in their country church schools. By the way, the parents of a friend of mine thought they still taught the Shorter Catechism at primary school. Sadly not!)

Our children are learning "The Child's Catechism", which the RPCI uses in its Sabbath school programme and which is produced by the PCI. This provides a good grounding in basic Bible history (Q 1. Who was the first man? A. Adam), but it isn't until after 129 questions that it gets around to doctrine. So in parallel we initially used the excellent "Catechism for Young Children: An Introduction to the Shorter Catechism" produced by the PCA (original edition), but we have now swapped to Carine MacKenzie's "My First Book of Questions and Answers". This is an expansion of and improvement on the PCA's catechism.

May I heartily recommend it to you along with all that Carine MacKenzie has produced for CFP. We have used a lot of her materials in family worship. There are other "My First Book of..." books.

By the way, I'm glad that CFP don't have pictures of Christ, as far as I know.