Who Will Cry for the Children? by J. Lee Grady www.lit4ever.org "Jesus turned and said to them, " 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not  weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.' "  Luke 23:28 There are 218 million child laborers in the world today. This week in Ecuador I saw life through their eyes. I made two new friends this week during a trip to South America. The first boy’s name is Levin. He was sleeping on a sidewalk near a shopping mall in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, when I turned a corner and saw his frail body curled up against a wall. The people traveling with me, four ministers from Peru and El Salvador, all stopped when I knelt down and gently shook the boy. He was holding a bulging plastic bag of chewing gum as if it were a teddy bear. Inside the bag I could see a few dollar bills and some coins. Levin was literally asleep on the job. “Mi amigo,” I said, lifting his head off the concrete. He opened his tired eyes, wiped his dirty face and looked around, avoiding direct eye contact. He was afraid. In my broken Spanish I asked him if he wanted something to eat. He nodded, clutching his bag of gum close to his skinny body. I grabbed his hand, pulled him to his feet and patted down his unkempt black hair. We began to walk to the mall when another boy, about a foot shorter than Levin, suddenly appeared from behind a wall. He was carrying a similar plastic bag of Chicklets. My friend Milagros, a pastor from Lima, Peru, asked him a few questions in Spanish and learned that he was Levin’s younger brother. His name is Freddy, and he is six. Both boys are street vendors. “¿Tienes hambre? (Are you hungry?),” I asked Freddy. “Sí,” he said with a faint smile. The brothers looked malnourished. I wondered if their mother had given them anything for breakfast that morning. Then I wondered if their mother was even alive. I took Freddy’s hand and walked toward the mall entrance while a Salvadoran youth pastor, Janny, held onto Levin. When we got to the door a security guard eyed the boys with suspicion as if he had seen them before. Janny told the guard that the boys were our guests. He smiled curiously and allowed us to enter the mall. We walked straight to the food court, where everything from pizza to hamburgers to Ecuadorian ceviche was available. I asked the boys what they liked to eat. Without hesitation Levin said he wanted Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) with arroz con menestra. I knew arroz was rice, but neither Janny nor I had heard of menestra. We soon discovered it was a uniquely Ecuadorian dish of rice with lentils. I walked over to the KFC counter and ordered two big plates for the boys. When I brought the tray of hot food to the table, Freddy quickly grabbed two packets of mayonnaise and squeezed the stuff all over his rice, squirting some of it across the table on his brother. Levin didn’t laugh at Freddy’s antics. Both boys ate hurriedly until they had finished almost every bite. “Dónde está su madre?” (Where is your mother?) I asked. Levin said something about her working. But Janny told me that when she asked him the same question while I was at the counter, he told her his mother had died. We weren’t sure which story was true. Levin also told us he was worried because someone had stolen $10 from him, and his father might get mad about it. Janny told him we were not going to give him money, only food. “These children make up a lot of stories,” she told me, knowing that the boys could not understand her English. As they finished their lunch we told the boys that Jesus loves them. I patted Freddy’s head and prayed that he would know the love of the Savior. And then we sent them on their way. Each had a bag of uneaten chicken in one arm and their inventory of chewing gum in the other. I could hardly fathom the fact that these two kids were on their own, with no one to protect them from thieves, reckless drivers and the unscrupulous men who exploit children to sell candy on the streets. The sad truth is there are an estimated 218 million children in the world today who are classified as child laborers. Child labor is the most insidious cause of poverty today—because the children are pulled from school and grow up to be ignorant. Seventy percent of them work in agriculture, but others do extremely hazardous work in mines, factories, brick kilns and construction sites. Millions of girls are forced to stay home to serve as domestic workers. And millions of girls and boys are sexually exploited, working as prostitutes or used to create pornography. What can we do? I felt helpless in Guayaquil because feeding Levin and Freddy a hot meal won’t get them back in school. But I came home on Monday knowing that the church must cry out until these little ones are off the streets. We must pressure foreign governments to outlaw child labor, fight child sexual exploitation and use the abundant resources of the American church to support Christian ministries that are feeding and educating the Levins and Freddys of the world. Many of these kids are curled up on a sidewalk somewhere right now, overwhelmed by pressures that no 8-year-old should have to face. Please don’t ignore them. J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma Magazine.

A Vision of the Children in Thailand

What I am writing is making me tremble and I am shaking from the revelation I just received that I share below. The revelations and visions are so intense and I tremble in awe of what I am hearing and seeing. I have never received such a fierce revelation from the heart of God before! I feel His love. I feel His intolerance. I feel His strength. I feel His compassion and broken heart. I feel His fire and anger kindled for the injustice done to His children. I feel His Spirit of breakthrough. I feel the Spirit of the fear of the Lord upon me. I feel a force of energy I cannot explain. It is so powerful, beautiful and fearful at the same time.

Last Friday night, I went into a vision, seeing the faces of children in Thailand (where I am from and where I was born). Then a fierce presence of God came upon me and said, "Go write these words down." I immediately went into my prayer/writing room and wrote down these words and revelations of the Lord. It took me about 10 minutes to write them and it was one of the most intense moments with God I've experienced yet.

In this vision over the children in Thailand, I saw many pure, innocent faces before me. These faces were filled with much sadness and despair from all the poverty and sin they are living in. I then asked the Lord what it would take to break down the powers of darkness over there and how the children would be rescued. "How are they going to be rescued, Lord?" I asked.

I was stunned by God's response and His words!

He said that He would rise up the children there and they would no longer tolerate being treated as slaves and being handed over to sex slavery and poverty. He said He was going to place His Spirit in them and they would rise up and say NO to the enemy! He was going to come upon them so strong and so fierce and they would not tolerate the sin and the filth they have been surrounded by. They are going to take a stand for all the injustice done to them and their generation and simply say, "NO! You cannot treat us this way anymore! We know Who the Most High God is and He has come upon us and He is causing us to make a stand!"

These children are not waiting for any human to rescue them. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is roaring upon them to stand up for themselves! They are a powerful army that will push back the powers of hell. They've had enough of being downtrodden and betrayed by man. They've had enough of man not protecting them and their innocence. They've had enough of not being stood up for and defended. They've had enough of the abuse and tolerance of sin. The fierceness of the Lord is upon them!

They cry out, "Honor! Honor! Honor! I am from the Tribe of Honor! Honor is my birthright and I will not tolerate dishonor to my name and my body anymore! My body is the temple of Jesus Christ."

They will cry out for justice for the poor, the weak, the hurt and the abused. God is going to immediately download into them their true identity in Christ! When the Spirit of the Lord comes upon them, they will know instantly who they are and the inheritance they have in Him. They will demand for justice to be served, to be restored and to be poured out. They will demand for past generations' inheritances to be poured out onto the land! They are an army of children of the Most High God and they will pour out love and justice to one another! They will say, "This is how you will treat me! This is how I want to be loved! This is how I want to be honored! This is how we want our generation to live!"

As I saw the children of Thailand rise up, God said, "This is for all nations!" What will happen in Thailand will shake the nations to rise up in their true identity and take a stand for justice in their own lands! "No more!" is what I hear from the voices of the smallest children! "No more! You cannot treat me this way! No more!"

The Spirit of God is rising upon the smallest of children throughout the earth. He is giving them a trumpet in one hand and a sword in the other. Their voices will pierce the thickest darkness throughout their land. The sound of a child's voice is intolerable to the enemy. He cannot bear the weight of a child's declarative voice and a child's bold faith! A child's voice is like fingernails across a chalkboard to the enemy! He is running in fear as the children of many nations arise to speak out! He is terrified of the small children! For the Kingdom of God is theirs! Childlike faith is a most powerful force! It creates, it moves, it loves, it heals, it brings signs and wonders and it never stops because of the power of its belief!

God says, "I will rescue My children! I will come upon them and cause them to arise! They carry My authority and My identity and My power! They can have what they say! Their voices will carry unto the ends of the earth! I hear them, I have listened to them and I will shake the foundations at even one of their voices crying out to Me! Their day of deliverance is near! They are crying out, 'Injustice' not only on those living, but on all the children who have been martyred! They also carry the weight of the anointing of martyrs who have gone before them. I have heard every single cry from every single suffering child on earth and who now are in Heaven. I am acting upon their cries! I cannot tolerate their cries any longer!"

"I am a God of My word and it is now time for Me to move on My suffering children's behalf! They are everything to Me! I live and I died for them! I cannot and will not tolerate the injustice done to them! I will come upon them with the sword of My Spirit and cause each and every one of them to arise and speak out for Me and tear down every intolerable sin that has been done to them! They will tear it down! They will tear it down! They will tear it down! They will tear it down!"

God is Gathering His Children

Bottom line, the world has not defended nor protected its children and now the Spirit of the Lord will come upon the children, and they will take a stand to defend themselves and each other. This generation's purity, innocence, gifts and value and very lives have been stolen. God is going to give it back to them and they will be a force to be reckoned with. The Spirit of the Lord in His children will take back their culture and freedom and transform their society unto its original God-given state.

Their intolerance will set the earth in motion towards their birthright of purity, holiness and innocence. The world will revolve around them. Creation has been crying out for them. Harmony with man and the earth will come for a time because of the children. Their day is here! They will tell and show the world how it's done and how it's to be run. Parents will honor their children and children will honor their parents. This is God's balance of peace and harmony upon the earth (read Ephesians 6).

The Message translation in Mark 10:13-16 says it best in how Jesus feels about children: "The people brought children to Jesus, hoping He might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: 'Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and Me. These children are at the very center of life in the Kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's Kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in.' Then, gathering the children up in His arms, He laid His hands of blessing on them."

Jesus is gathering the children of the earth into His arms to bless them, and nothing will get in the way of them and Him--for they are the very center of life in the Kingdom.

A prayer of Declaration: Father, we declare Your word and we say, "Let it be released into the atmosphere!" We declare Your children to be set free from the captivity of sin and disgrace! We declare Your children to come into their true identity in Christ! We cry out for Holy Justice to be poured out upon the smallest of children to stand up in the strength and power and authority of the God Most High! We declare deliverance this day for Your children, dear God! Lord, let this word go out as a consuming fire to shake the sinful foundations to the ends of the earth!

My Thai Family Background and Dream Over Thailand

I was born in Thailand and moved back to Oregon as an infant child. My mom is full Thai and has a history most of us in the western world couldn't fathom. Her parents were rice farmers and both of them died of pneumonia. When my mom was a teenager, her older sister gave my mom to a Chinese businessman, who paid to take her. She had five children with this man and he passed away when their fifth child was less than a year old. She then sent her children to live with other family members and friends while she went to work in a massage parlor.

My then 19-year-old dad from Oregon, was in the US Air Force, stationed in Thailand. It was there that my dad met my mom and fell madly in love with her. A couple of years later, my sister and I were born in Thailand in the early 70's. When I was an infant, my dad sent my mom, sister and I back to Oregon to live with our American grandparents and he joined us shortly thereafter. When my dad joined us back in the states, he put in visas for my mom's children still living in Thailand to come over here too. In 1976, four of them came.

God has placed a burning heart of justice in my heart for the injustice done throughout the land of Thailand. My dream is to see a shift of holiness and purity hit that land. In previous prayers and encounters with God, He has shared with me His heart over Thailand. He has spoken to me on many occasions about His plans and has declared Thailand as His own. He has said, "I want Thailand! It is Mine! They will know the truth and the truth will set them free." The word Thai means "Freedom" or "Land of the Free," and they will truly become a land of the Free!

There are many gifts of goodness from there and God is going to unleash and unlock His goodness over Thailand. I've heard God declare about Himself, "I'm the real Thailand and they will see the real Me!" Thailand's official name is "Kingdom of Thailand." They will soon see and know the true Kingdom!

Julie A. Smith
The ElijahList
Email: inquiries@smiteypublications.net

Children grow up so fast, so much that they should be taught about Jesus from birth as mother and father care for their babies. Within a few short years, the children will be grown and the opportunity to teach them about our wonderful Messiah, Jesus, will be gone. This is an excellent teacher resource for children!

So many children suffer around the world. A loving hand from a loving heart helps them so much. Just knowing that someone cares, and that most of all Jesus cares for them.

The Old Testament has much to say about angels. They appeared to men and women for the purpose of delivering messages from God as He sent them out. “Angel,” comes from the Greek word, “aggelos,” meaning “messenger.” For example, angels conveyed the message of the timing of the birth of Isaac, the promised son, to Abraham and Sarah. “Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:14 Angels came to Sodom as deliverers of Lot and his family, before the Lord destroyed the city in judgment. Genesis 19:1-16

Another appearance of angels occurred at Bethel, where Jacob dreamed a dream in which “the angels of God were ascending and descending,” on a ladder which reached from earth to heaven. This dream is fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus to the children of God today, as evidenced by the fact that the Lord ministers to us by the angels., as well as in many other ways. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14 “And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” Hebrews 1:7 Angels appear in service to the children of God many times in the Old Testament, but the New Testament has more references to angels. The archangel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary and to Joseph, concerning the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Michael is the archangel who guards Israel.

Let's look at some of the defining attributes of these heavenly beings known as angels.

1. Angels are invisible spirit beings, but they can take on human form, according to their particular mission, when sent by God.

In Numbers 22, Baalam’s donkey could see the Angel of the Lord standing in the way, preventing Baalam from pronouncing a curse on Israel, a very sinful act. Eventually, Baalam’s eyes were opened, and he could see the angel and hear his warning that he was not to curse Israel. Quickly changing his mind, Baalam could only bless Israel, as God had instructed him. When the angels came to Abraham and Sarah, they appeared as men. Genesis 18:2

 

2. Angels have supernatural strength and power given to them by the Lord. “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word.” Psalm 103:20 The angels are ready, willing, and able to do whatever the Lord tells them to do, whether it’s delivering a blessing to you or saving someone from a disaster. “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:9-12 We are never to tempt the Lord by doing something dangerous just to see if the angels will protect us. Jesus said, “Thou shall not tempt the Lord, thy God.” Even though angels are magnificent creatures, servants of God, we are never to worship them. Only the LORD is worthy of worship. True angels will not receive worship. They refuse to receive worship which belongs only to the Living God. Revelation 22:8-9; Colossians 2:18; Revelation 10:1

3. Angels behold the face of the Father on behalf of children. “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10 As God lifts His countenance upon the children, the angels fly swiftly to their aid. Having been saved by the Blood of the Lamb, we should be faithful to bless our children and grandchildren, because the angels hearken to the lifting of the countenance of the Lord toward His children, and to those who shall be heirs of salvation. “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.’” Numbers 6:22-24 As we pray for our children and children around the world, the Father hears our prayers for them, He lifts His countenance upon them, and His angels are dispatched to guard and protect the children, showing them God’s favor. We really need to keep children covered in prayer in these dark days. Many of the children who come to harm in the world have no one praying for them. God moves in answer to prayer. Children are very sensitive to the things of God. “A little child shall lead them.”

However, there is biblical evidence that when a person reaches the age of accountability and makes a willful decision to indulge in sin, angels withdraw their protection from that person. After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel began to serve idols, and the angel of the Lord said that he would no longer drive out the inhabitants of the land. Numbers 33:55 When Lot and his family were being led out of Sodom by angels, as it was being judged with fire and brimstone raining down from heaven, Lot’s wife looked back and longed for the world. The angels withdrew their protection, and she was turned to a pillar of salt. Genesis 19:26 Jesus reminded us in the Gospel of Luke, concerning the end times, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Luke 17:32

Angels have many characteristics, so it’s difficult to cover all of them in one article. Therefore, we will list some of their attributes, giving scripture references.

4. Angels are NOT all-knowing, but they are wise. Matthew 24:36; 2 Samuel 14:20 Angels were created with the ability to be eternally obedient to God, but they were also given a choice whether to obey or not. Hence, the fallen angels which followed Lucifer as he exalted himself. Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28

5. The Bible always speaks of angels in the masculine gender. Gabriel, Michael, he, him…Daniel 8:16

6. Angels are immortal: they do not die. Luke 20:36 Hebrews 2:9, 15-16

7. Angels are holy. Matthew 25:31

8. There is no redemption for angels, since they have the ability to choose eternal obedience. The fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden does not apply in any way to angels. They desire to look into the things of salvation, but they cannot sing the redemption song. The holy angels have no need of redemption, because they are holy from creation, with no carnal nature. 1 Peter 1:10-12 There is no redemption for fallen angels, or demons. They possessed the ability to remain holy, but chose not to do so. Angels will be judged by the redeemed. 1 Corinthians 6:3

9. Angels do not need rest, and they can freely fly from heaven to earth with unimaginable speed. Revelation 4:8 Angels speak their own language, but they can speak the languages of men, as they did when they spoke to Abraham, Sarah, Joshua, Gideon, Samson’s mother, Mary, the shepherds, and many other people in the Bible. 1 Cor. 13:1

10. Angels ascend and descend from heaven, bringing blessing from the Father to believers and to protect and guard God’s people, as well as children. Genesis 28:12; John 1:51

11. Angels experience great joy when one sinner repents of his or her sin and is saved. Luke 15:10

12. Angels learn the wisdom of God by observing God’s people. Ephesians 3:10 They also record our deeds, by which we will be rewarded in heaven. Ecclesiastes 5:6, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 Our sins have been judged in Jesus, but our works, following salvation, will be revealed by fire at the judgment seat of Christ, before which we shall all stand. Verses 14-15 If our works are tried by God’s holy fire and found to be “wood, hay, or stubble,” we “will suffer loss (of rewards); but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” Our works, for which we are rewarded, are described as, “gold, silver, and precious stones.” verse 12 In our walk with the Lord, we must seek His face, to do the Father’s will, not our own will, nor for our own glory, for He will not share His glory with another.

13. Angels are awesome in appearance, Judges 13:20, and they are innumerable. Psalm 68:17;  2 Kings 6:14-17

14. Angels will gather the elect at the end of this age. Matthew 24:31

God's holy angels love God and His children, and they minister to us daily, unseen most of the time. There is much more to learn about angels, but space does not permit. Angels watching over you…

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may He cause His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May He lift His countenance upon you and give you complete peace.

 

In His matchless love,

Betty Seiley

Redeemer Church

www.bettyseiley.multiply,com

www.revivalwaters.net

Words fail in attempts to describe the beauty and glory of the Lord on these precious children as they pray for souls and to be taken deeper with Jesus.

This is an humbling testimony from an humble man...the kind of people God uses.

Swathy came to school with exciting news to share with her friends. "I have a Father who is alive," she announced, "and He is making a house for me, and He is going to come back and get me."

Nine-year-old Swathy had just learned, for the first time, of God's love for her as a Father when she met a Gospel for Asia missionary who visited her home in the slum.

Swathy's father had died before she was born, and she had grown up filled with sorrow as she watched other children who still had both their parents. Swathy's mother worked very hard to take care of her four children. But missing her father's love, Swathy became rebellious and difficult to handle. Even her teachers became frustrated with her.

“Swathy's father had died before she was born, and she had grown up filled with sorrow as she watched other children who still had both their parents.
When Swathy heard about her heavenly Father, it changed her life. ” When Swathy heard about her heavenly Father, it changed her life. She received Jesus as her Savior and started reading her Bible and praying every day for her family's salvation. Even her neighbors noticed the change in her character and began sending their own children to the GospelForAsia-affiliated church.

Please pray for Swathy to grow closer to the Lord, and that she will always cherish His love. Pray also that her family will choose to follow Jesus, Yeshua.

Read about GFA's ministry to slum-dwellers

Read about Swathy's home state, Gujarat