For dad only:
Heaven on Earth
Do you create a home atmosphere like Heaven, or is it more like the other place most of the time? Make your home heavenly by praying down the presence of God everyday. Build peace, love, and joy in your family by memorizing scripture together. Discuss this devotional for children about Heaven and Hell. Read the Bible together. And live it.
Don’t just give them hell-fire
Remember God does not just motivate us with punishment. Some homes become very wearying because the children continually live under the threat of the rod.
The Lord inspires us to live toward Him and with eternity in view because He invites us to the place of joy, peace, and happiness. You will not get your kids to heaven by lighting hellfire under them all the time.
The Good News first, please
Jesus introduced people to the truth of the kingdom by telling them about the good things first. He did not go out preaching the bad news. He brought good tidings of great joy. Hellfire and brimstone is for those who reject the truth or shrug it off. If you have rebellious children, you might need to remind them of the lake of fire. But introduce them first to the hope of heaven, the love of Jesus, and the joy of a godly life. This devotional for children about Heaven and Hell should help you do that.
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Read this devotional story on Heaven to your kids:
Beyond this World
Misty walked down the road in her slippers. She stopped and looked at the street and could see her reflection. She rubbed her eye and tried to figure out how this was happening. She knelt down and looked at the ground closer. It was so shiny, almost all she could see was her reflection. It was like walking on a big mirror. As she tried to figure it out how the street could be so clean and shiny a person walked up. She saw his reflection, first.
“Hi,” the young man said.
“Hi,” Misty answered, looking up. She stood up and looked around. “Where am I?”
“I don’t know what you would call it. I just call it Home.”
Misty looked at his bright white robe. She felt silly standing there in her pajamas.
“I have been waiting for you to come,” the young man said.
“Do I know you?” she asked.
“Probably not. My name is Seth. You and Rusty never met me. I’m your brother, but I died before I was born. How are Mom and Dad?”
Misty swallowed hard. Although this seemed strange, she was not scared. “Mom and Dad are fine. We just went to a great church service last night. Jesus was there.”
“Isn’t He awesome?”
Misty nodded her head.
“Do you want to meet Him?” Seth asked.
Misty gulped again. Her voice seemed small as she said, “Yes.”
“Well, come on.” He took Misty’s hand and started up the street.
“Seth?” Misty asked as they walked.
“Yeah.”
“I’m not dressed like everyone else here. Will Jesus let me show up in my pajamas?”
Seth smiled. “It’s okay. He’s knows you are just visiting.”
“He knows I’m here.”
“Of course. He told me to come get you.”
In a second, they were in a beautiful garden near a gurgling brook. Jesus walked up, glowing bright as the sun. Misty ran to Him when she saw Him. “Jesus!”
The Lord picked her up and gave her a big bear hug. “Oh Misty, I love you!”
“I love You, too, Jesus!”
• • •
Mom went into Misty’s room. Dad soon followed. “What’s going on?” he asked.
Misty was asleep in her bed, crying and saying, “Jesus. Jesus. I love you, Jesus.”
Mom said, “I guess she’s having a good dream.”
Dad whispered back, “I guess the revival meeting last night has affected her dreams.”
Suddenly, Misty sat up, speaking in tongues.
Mom and Dad worshipped the Lord together with her. Soon, Rusty came in to investigate the commotion.
Misty was starting to calm down by this point. Mom dried her happy tears.
“Wow, that must have been some dream,” Dad said.
“It was!” Misty said, smiling so big it hurt. “They are everywhere, Mom.”
“Who are, honey?”
“Angels. They help us. Jesus sends them to protect us and help us out.”
“You dreamed about angels?” Rusty asked.
“And Jesus. I met Jesus! He has a really nice park and He is fun to talk to. I got to sit in His lap.”
“That is great, honey,” Dad said. “You know the Bible says God wants to give dreams and prophecies to boys and girls? He wants us all to experience the power of His Spirit.”
“And Seth,” Misty said.
“Seth?” Dad asked. “Like from the Bible?”
“No. Our Seth.”
Mom frowned. “What do you mean? I don’t think we know a Seth.”
Misty nodded. “Yes you do. He’s our brother Rusty. He died before he was born.”
Mom started crying. She looked up at Dad. “Could it be?”
Dad’s eyes smarted with tears, too. “He’s in heaven! Of course he is!”
Rusty asked, “Who? We had a brother?”
Dad put his hand on Rusty’s shoulder and said, “Before you were born, Rusty, your mom had a miscarriage. That means the baby died before he was born. We had picked out the name Seth for him. He never lived to…”
Mom hugged Misty close. “You really did have a dream from God. You never knew about me losing a child, did you?”
Misty shook her head. “But he said he is looking forward to all of us getting there. He looks a lot like you, Dad.”
A holy presence of the Lord settled into the room. The family joined hands and worshipped the Lord together.
Finally, Mom looked at the clock and said, “We had better get going or you guys are going to miss the bus.”
“Oh, yeah!” Rusty said, drying his eyes on his shirt sleeve. “I forgot we are going on the Father-Son boot camp trip.”
“Well, Son, let’s get ready,” Dad said.
• • •
“What time is the bus leaving, Dad?”
“At ten o’clock.”
“It’s almost ten now. They didn’t leave yet did they?”
“I hope not.”
They turned the corner and could see the church parking lot from the street.
“Dad, the bus is gone! I see all the guys’ cars in the parking lot. But there is no one around. The bus already left. Can we follow them?”
“I’m sorry, Rusty. I do not know the way to the new campground they are going to.”
“We missed it! Dad, we missed it! We were not ready in time!”
Dad pulled their truck into the church parking lot and parked near the empty vehicles.
“Well,” Dad sighed. “I guess we can learn to be more prepared next time.”
Rusty sighed and leaned back in his seat. “I don’t believe this.”
Just then, they looked up and saw the church bus pulling into the parking lot.
“There it is!” Rusty jumped out of the truck. “There it is, Dad.”
Just then, Pastor came out of the church. “Hey, guys, you ready for the trip?”
“Yes, Sir!” Rusty nearly shouted.
“Good. Oh, look the bus is back. He just went up the street to fuel up. Everyone else is outback playing a quick game of volleyball. Let’s join them for a word of prayer before we leave.”
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Now discuss it!
What do you think it would be like to meet Jesus?
What do you think heaven looks like?
Who do you want to see when you get to heaven?
How do you think Rusty felt when it looked like they had missed the bus?
How would he have felt if they had missed the rapture?
How did Rusty feel when he saw the bus pull into the lot?
Do you look forward to Jesus coming back the same way?
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Read this Scripture on Heaven and Hell to your children:
Get Robed for the Party
Jesus again used parables in talking to the people. “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. He sent his servants to tell the invited guests to come to the feast, but they did not want to come.
“So he sent other servants with this message for the guests: ‘My feast is ready now; my steers and prize calves have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!’
“But the invited guests paid no attention and went about their business: one went to his farm, another to his store, while others grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them.
“The king was very angry; so he sent his soldiers, who killed those murderers and burned down their city. Then he called his servants and said to them, ‘My wedding feast is ready, but the people I invited did not deserve it. Now go to the main streets and invite to the feast as many people as you find.’
“So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, good and bad alike; and the wedding hall was filled with people.
“The king went in to look at the guests and saw a man who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ the king asked him.
“But the man said nothing.
“Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him outside in the dark. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.’
” And Jesus concluded, “Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
(Matthew 22:1-14, GNB)
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Get your kids discussing Heaven and Hell!
In this story, what does Jesus compare heaven to?
A wedding.
Does this make it sound like a happy event or something sad? How do people feel at weddings? What happens at weddings? How will heaven be like that?
In Jesus’ story, what happened to those people who rejected the king?
Are you going to be like one of those who come to the party or one who rejects His invitation?
Why did one man get thrown out of the party?
Because he did not have on the right robe.
What robe do we need to put on?
The name of Jesus (Galatians 3:27) and His Spirit (Luke 24:49).
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Memorize this passage on Heaven and the Rapture!
I Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord.