Hi, I am Ivan,

I don't know if you know this, but I have a colleague, and when he was young,
he was out traveling around Europe. Would anyone of you like to do that,
traveling around Europe? Yea.
Example:
There is one strange thing he was doing; he was smuggling stuff. Do you
know what you do when you smuggle? You take something that is not allowed
in the other country, and you would bring it into that country. And usually, you
sell it on a black market, right.
And he had a big bag which had two layers so he could bring all his stuff
in one layer, and he could close that off and he could have clothes and
everything else on top of that. And he would walk around like it was not heavy
at all. And he can go into the country he was traveling to. And every time he
went into the country, every time he was very afraid because he knew that if the
police would get him, he would end up in prison for this.
Do you know what he smuggled? What do you think he had in his bag?
Drugs? That would be something, but it wasn't that. Bible.
He was traveling with Bibles in his bag and trying to get them into
countries where the Bible is not allowed. It was forbidden because the
government in these countries thought that this was a dangerous book. It could
change lives.
I would also like to share with you a story of someone who wanted to
spread the good news about Jesus.
He is known as Brother Andrew. Some people call him “God’s smuggler”
because he spent his life smuggling Bibles and God's love into all sorts of places
where it's very hard to follow Jesus.
Brother Andrew was born in a country in Europe called the Netherlands.
He had promised to follow God, so he went to a Bible college in Glasgow, a
city in Scotland. It was difficult for him because he didn't speak very good
English, but he learned a lot about God and trusting in him.
One day at the Bible college he saw an advert for a big festival in
Warsaw, a city in Poland. In 1955 Poland was a communist country and
communists didn't like Christians. Andrew decided to go to the festival and find
out if there were any Christians left in Warsaw. So he packed his bags, got on a
train and went all the way to Poland.
When he arrived he felt very alone, but he knew God was with him. On
Sunday he went to find a church. The Polish Christians were really pleased to
see him. They thought that Christians in other countries had forgotten all about
them. They told him how hard life was for them. They were always being
watched by the government. Church leaders had been arrested and Bible schools
closed.
Back at the festival while praying this Bible verse sprang into Andrew’s
mind. It said: “Strengthen what remains and is about to die.” Suddenly, he felt
sure that God was telling him to go and help Christians who were being
attacked for following Jesus.
So next he went to Czechoslovakia. He went to a church where an old
lady was holding her Bible high in the air so that everyone else could read it. He
realized that she was the only one with a Bible. Because the government made it
so hard for people to buy Bibles some of them copied out bits of the Bible by
hand.
Andrew decided that he would take Bibles to Christians in countries
where they were not allowed. But how?
Back in the Netherlands, he shared his idea. Some friends gave him
money to buy lots of Bibles. One family even gave him a blue car to
take them in.
He drove to Yugoslavia. It was against the law to take more than one
Bible into the country and he had a car full of them. There were guards at the
border. As he drove up he prayed very hard: “Lord you made blind eyes see.
Please make seeing eyes blind.” First, the guards checked his camping
equipment, but they didn't spot the Bibles hidden in his sleeping bag. Then they
pulled out his suitcase. The Bibles were right there, but somehow the guards
still didn't see them. So they sent Andrew on his way. God had stopped the
guards from seeing the Bibles.
After that Andrew went to other countries delivering Bibles. He gave
them out to Christians in Bulgaria, Romania and Russia too. Hundreds of Bibles
were delivered to Christians. Andrew soon found out that there was too much
for him to do on his own. He needed others to join him. That was the beginning
of the organization “Open doors” which ever since has helped Christians who
are being badly treated because they follow Jesus.
Question:
Do you know how many languages are there in the world? 100, little bit
more. 6000-7000. How did you know that? You know, the Bible is the most
translated book of all. Over 2500 languages have bible verses translated to
them. And there are over 500 languages that have been worked on. What kind
of book this is? That have been forbidden, you can end up in prison if you have
it, and it is the most translated one. We must have look at this book, right?
My own Bibles:
I have many Bibles. Most of them are in digital version, but there are few of
them that are print Bibles.
- Serbian Bible – 4th or 5th Bible
- English Bible – used a lot
- A new one –
- Hebrew Bible (OT) and Greek New Testament
Therefore, the main and fundamental thing, not only of this psalm, or of this
book, but of the whole Bible, is that reading and meditating on God's Word
should be the most important time of a day, the source of joy, peace and
strength in your life. Let it not be just one more routine or habit, but the most
important thing of your life.
Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant
guide.
Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your
laws.
I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments.
I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your
word.
I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well.
How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.
Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way
of life.
(Psalm 119:97–104, NLT)

2. Tim 3:14-17.
From childhood
2.Tim 1:5 – the faith was passed from one generation to another.
Do we delight in the teaching of our God? Do we consider it the source of
our happiness, our deepest enjoyment?
Does anyone here like sweets? Is there anyone here who doesn’t like
sweets?
There were various levels of education in the Jewish system. The first
level of schooling was called “Bet Sefer” or “the house of the book” (5 books of
Moses) (Bet Talmud “House of Learning”-10-12 OT and oral traditions; Bet
Midrash “House of Study” 13 and up to 30 – to become like a rabbi) and was
for the ages between 6 -10 years old. Often the Rabbi, who taught the children
at this level, would provide an object lesson that the children would remember
for the rest of their lives. On the child’s first day of school, the Rabbi gave each
one of the new students a small slate which they would eventually use to learn
to read and write. He would pour honey on each child’s slate and would have
the children run their fingers across the slate and then would have them lick the
honey off of their fingers while the Rabbi would say, “May the words of God be
like honey on your tongue.”1
Honey was often rare and for many of the children this was their first
time tasting it. Remember, they are six years old and they did not have a candy
store to frequent in their culture. You can only imagine the sweet taste in the
children’s mouth, unlike anything they have ever had before. Honey was a
treasure, it was a special treat and there was nothing more pleasurable or exotic.
Honey was often a sign of God’s favor and represented His Word. Honey is
mentioned 56 times in the Bible. Ezekiel was told to eat a roll (scroll), which
represented God’s Word, and as he did it was “sweetness to his mouth” (Ezekiel
3:1-4). David writes in Psalm 119:103, “How sweet are thy words unto my
taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” It was the Rabbis desire to create
a hunger for God’s Word in each child as they would eventually learn about and
memorize the first five books of the Bible.

As a Pathfinder Club the challenge will be charged to:

a) the Parents, on how they can help this church ministry by registering their
kids in the Club and support them in their needs where necessary.

1
https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/333538#:~:text=Three%20stages%20of%20education%20within,Bet%20Talmud%2C
%20and%20Bet%20Midrash.
https://stevecorn.com/2010/11/01/jewish-educational-system/
We as parents need to lead our children by example. My desire is for the Bible
to be the essential part our lives, more important thing than anything in life.
“Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in your
way.” (Ps. 119:37)
If we love to read and study the Scripture, our children will follow our example.
To encourage children to read their Bible and to love God.

b) the children - the reason why we have this church ministry is to train
them for the future and to build a Christ like character within them…

I invite you to read the Word of God. To be the source of your happiness and
joy.
New Living Translation
You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have
given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in
Christ Jesus. (2 Tim 3:15)

c) and to the Counsellors who act as leaders and role models in this ministry.

To act as leaders and role models in this ministry: to show the fruit of the Spirit

How we can improve and work together in this ministry while waiting for
Christ soon return

The challenge will be in spiritual nature, character building, skills and