Jerusalem

 This week, Paul is finishing his third missionary journey.  Instead of returning to Antioch, Paul is headed to Jerusalem.  As he is traveling toward Jerusalem, he is stopped by a man named Agabus.  He took Paul's belt and tied up his hands and feet with it.  Agabus announced, "God, the Holy Spirit, says that Paul will be tied up like this.  The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will send Paul to the non-Jews/Gentiles in chains.  All of Paul's friends beg him not to go to Jerusalem, but Paul is convinced that God wants him in Jerusalem in spite of the knowledge that he will be captured.

Once Paul reaches Jerusalem, he goes to the church leaders.  He shared all that he has done on this three missionary journeys.  The church leaders praise God over the gospel being taken to the entire world.  Yet they also warn Paul about the lies that some of the Jews have spread about him in Jerusalem.  The church leaders suggest that Paul take four men, who have made a special promise to God, and pay for whatever they need to complete their special promise.  They are hoping when the Jewish leaders wee Paul obeying the law the God gave Moses, they will realize that what they had heard about Paul was a lie.  Paul agrees.

Seven days later, when Paul entered the temple, some Jews from Asia accused him of breaking the law by brining a non-Jew/Gentile into the temple.  The angry mob grabs Paul and takes him outside the temple.  They began to beat Paul.  They were trying to kill him.

Suddenly a Roman captain is there.  He has his soldiers arrest Paul.  He asks the people what Paul had done.  Some people shout one thing.  Others say something different.  So the Roman captain decided to take Paul to the barracks so that he can investing better this incident.  The crowd follows yelling, "Get rid of Him!"

Right before they enter the barracks, Paul asks if he can talk to the angry mob.  The Roman captain agrees.  As Paul talks to the crowd in Hebrew, they become quiet.  Paul tells them about himself. - where he was born, where he grew up, who he studied under, how he had persecuted the people who followed Jesus, etc.  Then Paul tells they about what happened to him on the road to Damascus.  He told them that Jesus, God the Son, had told him that He was sending Paul to the non-Jews/Gentiles.

The crowd listened until that point.  Then they yelled, "Get rid of him!  Kill him!"  When the Roman captain saw the crowd's anger, he quickly took Paul into the barracks.  He commanded his soldiers to flog Paul.  When the soldier was ready to flog Paul, Paul asked, "Is it lawful to flog a Roman citizen without being found guilty?"  The answer to this question was NO.  Quickly the soldier got the Roman captain.  When the captain discovered that he had put a Roman citizen in chains he was worried.  He had a problem.  Why were the Jews trying to kill a Jewish Roman citizen?

So the next morning, he brought Paul to the Jewish leaders.  He had to know what the Jews were blaming Paul for doing.  Paul declared that he was on trial become he believe the dead will come back to life again.  This quickly divided the Jewish leader.  Some believed in a resurrection, but others did not.  The fussing was quickly getting out of control.  So the Roman captain had Paul taken back to the barracks.

That night Jesus came to Paul.  He said, "Paul be brave.  You have told people in Jerusalem about Me.  Now you are going to Rome to tell the people there about Me."

Now the next day, more than 40 Jews made a promise not to eat or drink until Paul is dead.  They planned to ambush him while he was brought back to the Jewish leaders for more questioning.  Their plot was overheard by Paul's nephew.  This nephew told Paul and the Roman captain.  Quickly the Roman captain called soldiers to take Paul to Caesarea to Governor Felix.

Through all the time the mob threatened Paul, Paul had peace.  Why?  Because He trusted that God was in control of the situation.  Peace in not depended on what is happening around us.  Peace is trusting the God of the universe who made us is in control.  Jesus in John 14:27 says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I don't give to you as the world gives.  Don't let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  Do you have true peace?  If not, place your trust in the One who controls the universe.

Here are some pictures of Week 5 of BBC:

The kids are signing in for the morning.  So many said their Bible verses, that I ran out of 1 Bible Bucks!  So I had to ask if anyone had five 1 Bible Bucks they could exchange for a 5 Bible Buck! 

 I just love that smile!

Because of the Lebanon Area Fair some of my kids attended a different club than they normally do.  This tells me they love Backyard Bible Club!

These kids are quickly reviewing their Bible Verses before they have to say them.

We made beaded cross necklaces for the craft.  I loved how colorful the table look.

I had so many beads, some of the kids found  it difficult to choose which ones to use on their necklaces.  My vast quantity of beads were donated from the ladies at Hebron United Methodist Sewing Group.  Thank you ladies!

We played games with the parachute. I taught them a new game called NASCAR Races.  See the smiles!  They favorite parachute game was Popcorn.

Ephesus

Do you know that you are in a spiritual battle?  Satan, God's enemy, doesn't want you to follow God.  At times the battle is fierce.  But God is always in control.  Sometimes God will put a shield around you so that nothing can hurt you.  He did this for Paul after he first accepted Jesus as his Savior (i.e. when Paul's new friends lowered him in a basket to escape from Damascus).  Sometimes God will fight the actual battle through you.  Paul's confrontation with Elymas are an example of this (see Acts 13).  And other times God will simply tell you to hold your position, stand steady and watch Him fight for you.  In this week's Bible lesson, God fought for Paul through an unlikely source.  

After spending time in Antioch, Paul sets out on his third missionary journey.  This time, he heads for the fourth larges city in the Roman Empire - Ephesus.  First he spends three months talking to his people, the Jews.  When they reject Jesus, Paul rents space in the school of Tyrannus.  For two years, Paul teaches anyone who is interested about Jesus.  In this time, he also healed many who were sick or were possessed by an evil spirit.  He didn't even have to physically be present to heal them.  Many were healed only by touching Paul's headband, handkerchief or even work apron. 

Seven Jewish brothers decided to try to mimic Paul.  "Let's use Paul's name and His God to cast out evil spirits."  they decided.  So one day, a man controlled by an evil spirit came to them.  "By the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches about, we command you evil spirit to come out!" they said. 

The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know.  Paul I know, but who are you?"  Then the man who was controlled by the evil spirit beat the seven brothers up.  They were wounded.  They barely escaped.  And when they did, they left all their clothing behind!  

Satan is always stronger than you and me.  These seven Jewish brothers were trying to battle Satan by their own power.   They lost.  But in Matthew 28:19, Jesus says, "All power in heaven and earth are given to Me."  Jesus is more powerful than Satan is.  Paul was only able to cast out evil spirits and heal people through Jesus' power.  

When the people of Ephesus heard what happened to these seven brothers, they feared the name of Jesus.  Many who had followed Satan, turned to Jesus.  When they did, they realized that they need to destroy anything that Satan could use to turn them away from following Jesus.  So they had a huge bonfire.  In the fire they threw their books about witchcraft, and special charms. Jesus had broken Satan's grip on many lives.  He showed that He is more powerful than Satan is.

But Satan was not going to give up without a fight.  He was going to use a man named Demetrius.    The temple of Artemas was in Ephesus.  Many people all over the Roman Empire would come to Ephesus just to worship at this temple. Demetrius was a silversmith who made a lot of money making replicas of the temple of the false goddess Artemas.  He realized that when someone put their trust in Jesus, they stopped worshiping idols like Artemas.  If people no longer worshiped Artemas and purchase his silver idols, then he was going to not make any money.  So he gathered a large group of his buddies. They decided to stop Paul.  They grabbed two of his friends and rushed them to the area.  Many people followed them.  There was confusion in the area.  Some were yelling one thing.  Others were yelling something else.  Some people didn't even know why they were there.  Finally,  one phrase was heard over the rest.  "Great is Artemas of the Ephesus."  Over and over again the mob yelled these words for TWO hours!  

Paul wanted to go speak to the mob.  But friends convinced him to not go.  They were sure the mob would tear Paul to pieces.  Paul was finally convinced to let God battle for him.

After two hours, a town clerk, who didn't believe in Jesus, stood up and told the crowd that Paul and his friends have done nothing wrong.  If Demetrius and his friends have an issue against Paul, then they should go to the courts about it.  Everyone else in the area are disturbing the peace.  If they don't go home peacefully, then he would have to arrest them.  The mob listened and went home.

God used this unbelieving town clerk to defend Paul.  Once again Satan was defeated! 

Here are some pictures of Week 4!

Many of the students earned 10 Bible Bucks for turning in a picture of last week's lesson. I loved seeing their drawing of Paul and Silas in jail.











This week, the kids made travel logs.













Wet 'n Wild was the theme of the games this week.  We played the sponge relay.








Some groups had to pick up 25 marbles with their toes and transfer them into a bucket.  The Campbelltown kids were really good at this.  They told me it is because this game they play EVERY year at Field Day.

Leaky Pipe was a huge success.  The kids quickly discovered that putting one in charge and then listening to that person really made this activity a piece of cake.

Over-Under-Over relay was a lot of fun!

 

The kids did a fantastic job listening to the Bible lesson. 

Philippi

Well, Paul is off on another trip.  But this trip has more terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days then terrific, wonderful, very good days!  Before the trip even began, Paul and Barnabas had a HUGE argument.  Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them.  But Paul said John Mark lost his chance when he deserted them on the last missions trip.  So Barnabas took John Mark and sailed for the island of Cyprus.  Now Paul needed to find a new partner.  He chose a man named Silas.

Paul wanted to visit the new Christians in the cities he had previously visited, so they set off for Derbe and Lystra.  When they got to Lystra, Paul met a young man named Timothy who was a believer.  Paul was so impressed with this young man, he asked him to join them on their trip.  Timothy agreed.

After encouraging the Christians in Iconomia and Pisidian Antioch, Paul decided to go to the region of Asia.  But God, the Holy Spirit, told Paul, "NO!"  Next Paul tried to go north.  Again the Holy Spirit told Paul, "NO!"  By this time they had run out of land.  But at night, Paul had a dream of a man begging them to come to Macedonia.  When Paul shared his dream with Silas and Timothy, they all agreed that God wanted them in Macedonia.  So they boarded a boat.

Once they arrived in Macedonia, they traveled to Philippi, the leading city in the area.  Here they found NO synagogue.  (This meant there were very few Jews living in this city.)  But they did hear that people would gather at the river to pray.  So on the Sabbath, they went to the river and found . . . only some women.  Although Paul must have been disappointed, he shared the Gospel (good news of Jesus) with them.  Lydia, a business women, believed their message and put her trust in Jesus.  She then invited them to stay at her home while they were in Philippi.

So far, Philippi had been a disappointment.  Yet, Paul and Silas continued to share the Gospel with whoever would listen.  Soon, wherever they would go a slave girl would follow them.  This slave girl was controlled by a demon (a follower of Satan, God's enemy).  This demon allowed the slave girl to tell people their fortune.  She earned A LOT of money for her masters in this way.  Anyway,  she began to follow Paul and Silas.  As she followed she would yell, "THESE MEN FOLLOW THE MOST HIGH GOD.  THEY CAN TELL YOU HOW TO BE SAVED."

After days of this, Paul got annoyed and commanded the evil spirit to leave the girl in Jesus' name.  Immediately the spirit left.  But the day just got worst for Paul and Silas.  When the slave girls masters discovered she could no longer tell people their fortune.  They grabbed Paul and Silas and accused them of teaching against the Roman law.  Soon a mob joined them.

The town officials decided to beat Paul and Silas and cast them into jail.    The jailer put them into the center most cell and put their hands and feet into chains.  Paul and Silas was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!

Yet Paul and Silas remembered all that God had done for them.  He directed them to Philippi.  He loved them so much that He sent Jesus to die for their sins.  He was even with them in that cell.  So Paul and Silas spent the evening and night praying and singing praised to God.  They were so loud in their praises that all the other prisoners could hear them.

Suddenly at midnight, there was an earthquake.  The prison's doors flew open and everyone's chains fell off.  Yet, no one ran to freedom.  The jailer seeing the prison's doors open assumed everyone had fled.  He know he would be killed for letting the prisoners escape.  So he decided to kill himself.   Paul and Silas stop him and inform him that everyone is still there.  When the jailer sees that all the prisoners are accounted for, he asked them, "What must I do to be saved?"

"Believe on the Lord Jesus."  they answered.  Immediately, the Jailer (and his family) believed.  Paul and Silas baptized them.  Then the jailer took care of Paul and Silas' wounds and fed them.

Later that morning, the town officials sent a message telling the jailer to release Paul and Silas.  They realized that they had not broken any Roman law.  Before Paul, Silas and Timothy left Philippi, they went to Lydia's house and encouraged them to live for Jesus.

If you have believed in Jesus as your Savior, you too can rejoice in your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days AND on your wonderful, magnificent, very good days!  Just remember who God is and what He has done for you in the past.  Then rejoice!

The pictures of Week 3 are few.  My photographer (Joy) is on a mission's trip in Mexico.  But here is what I have!

 This week for crafts, we made Paul's traveling Buddies out of bead, straws and pipe cleaners.  They could choose to make either a Mohawk Boy and a Colorful Haired Girl. 

One girl came into my Newmanstown group excited to make a Traveling Buddy.  Apparently, she was meet with a friend who comes to my Campbelltown group.  She saw what we made in Campbelltown and couldn't wait to make one herself! 





















We learned a new song this week.

We played more gaga ball.  I am so sore from playing this game.  This game was definately NOT made for adults.  It was so hot on Wednesday evenings that at one point only us four adults were playing.  All the kids were laying on the grass under the shade. 

We also played Octopus Tag and Tail Tag.  Since ii rained AGAIN on Thursday evening, we played Mennonite Madness and Tenzie instead of a tag game.

Lystra

This week at club, we learned that God wants us to tell others about Him even when it is hard.  Last week, we had left Barnabas in Jerusalem and Saul/Paul in Tarsus.  The church in Jerusalem heard a large number of people in Antioch were coming to put their trust in Jesus.  So they sent Barnabas to check out the situation.  Barnabas found many new believers in Jesus.  He realized quickly that he needed help to teach these new believers about Jesus. So he went to Tarsus to get Paul to help him.  They spent a year in Antioch. 

One day as Barnabas, Saul and three other church leaders in Antioch were praying God, the Spirit, told them "to set Barnabas and Saul apart for the work that God had for them to do."  So the church in Antioch prayed and sent them on their way.         

Directed by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul set sail for the island of Cyprus.  Immediately upon landing, they began to preach the gospel.  The gospel is the good new of Jesus Christ.  (God loves you.  Jesus never sinned, but you have.  Jesus died and rose again.  You can put your trust in Him for the forgiveness of your sins.  You can live for Jesus.)  Many people believed as they listened to Barnabas and Paul.  If you have put your trust in Jesus, God wants you to tell others about Him too.

In the city of Paphos, they met a Jewish man who was the governor's helper.  His name was Elymas.  When the governor of Cyprus sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear their message, Elymas tried to convince the governor not to put his trust in Jesus.  Paul then turned to Elymas and inflicted temporary blindness on him.  Seeing this miracle, the governor decided to put his trust in Jesus.  Satan, God's enemy, doesn't want anyone to hear and believe the gospel.  But Jesus has given you (like he did Paul) power to tell others of Him.  

Next Paul and Barnabas sailed for Perga.  From their they traveled to Pisidia Antioch.  Everywhere they went they shared the gospel to whoever would listen.  Because the Jews in Pisidia Anioch were jealous of Paul and Barnabas' popularity they first argued with them and finally tried to hurt them.  Paul and Barnabas left and went to Iconium.  And then to Lystra.

After Paul and Barnabas arrived in Lystra, a man who never walked in his life believed in Jesus and was healed.  The crowd seeing this miracle, believed Paul and Barnabas were gods and tried to worship them.  The crowd did not worship the true and living God.  They didn't know or believe the good news of Jesus.  After telling the crowd that "they are men just like them", Paul and Barnabas urged the crowd to turn to the true and living God - Jesus.  

Stirred up by the jealous Jews from Pisidia Antioch and Iconium, the crowd turned from trying to worship Paul and Barnabas to stoning Paul.  When they though Paul was dead they dragged his body outside the city.  When the believers in Jesus gathered around Paul, he got up from the ground and walked back into the city of Lystra!

The next day, Paul and Barnabas continued onto Derbe.  They didn't give up preaching the gospel.  (God loves you.  Jesus never sinned, but you have.  Jesus died and rose again.  You can put your trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins.  You can live for Jesus.)  After Derbe.  They went back through some of the towns they had recently been at and then sailed for Antioch.  Returning to Antioch, they gave a detailed report of all God had done through them.  Very likely Satan will try to stop you from telling others about Jesus.  But God wants you to tell others about Him, even when it is hard!  So be a Paul and Barnabas.  

Here are some pictures of week 2.

Here they come. . .  I love it when the kids come running with smiles on their faces. 

Many of the kids answered last week's essay question.  Why would God still love a man like Saul/Paul?  I was really pleased how the kids answered this question.  For answering the question, each kid received 10 Bible Bucks.   

 Katelyn is all ready to sign the kids in this week at Newmanstown!  It was raining when we arrived so we set up inside.  Then it stopped so we set up games outside and everything else inside.  Didn't know if we would have many kids due to the weather, but we had only one less than last week.










Gaga ball fun!   We had some sibling rivalry in the pit. 

This week, we made string backpacks during craft time.  They turned out very cute.  The one boy told me, "Finally a cool craft."  They only glitch in the craft is that they didn't dry by the time club ended.  So I will be handing out most of them next week. 

Kids in line to go inside for Bible Time.  See how hot and sweaty they are from playing gaga ball?

 

This week's Bible verse is Romans 5:12.  We played a neat game to help us learn the verse.  As long as the "Go" sign was showing, we said the verse.  But when the "Stop" sign came out, no one could talk until the "Go" sign came again.  The kids loved taking turns controlling the signs.

 Because my South Annville Club is very large.  I split the kids into two groups (K-3 and 4-6).  Half the time the kids played Nine Square in the Air and half the time they played gaga ball.  The younger kids enjoyed playing gaga ball.  It was a much slower game than when the older kids played.

SNACK TIME!  Had a child ask a million time (OK maybe not that many, but a lot)  "When is snack time?"

 Soon it was time to for the kids to go to the Club Store. 

And then club was over for another day. . .