Children Should be Taught to Make Sacrificial Offerings
Children, remember that you are the Lord's property. Jesus gave His life that you might be saved. See how much you can do for Him. First give Him your hearts. Accept Him as your personal Saviour, and consecrate yourselves to Him as His children. The most highly-valued treasure which you can give the Lord is the heart. Present to Him a New Year's Offering by giving Him yourself. “Ye are not your own: for ye have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”7MR 8.3
How many will make an offering to the Lord of the whole being, to be used as a temple for His indwelling? Seek the Lord while He may be found. As you give yourself to Him to be cleansed from all sin, He will accept you as His child. He has revealed His love for you by sending His Son to this world to die for you, and He will help you to serve Him.7MR 8.4
Will you appreciate the great sacrifice Christ has made in your behalf? Give yourself, body, soul, and spirit, to the dear Saviour who loves you. This is the greatest gift you can make to Him. Will you do this?7MR 9.1
Parents should help their children in this good work, bringing their little ones to the Lord as an offering. Patiently and lovingly they should teach their children that Jesus is their best friend. Let parents take up their neglected duties, and bring their children to Christ. Let them make no delay. If parents did their duty in the fear of the Lord, there would be more children serving in the army of the Lord, being trained and educated to do His will.7MR 9.2
Simply and lovingly teach your children the lessons God has given for them, that they may learn how to become members of the royal family and children of the heavenly King. Read for your own benefit the eighth and ninth chapters of Second Corinthians. Read this instruction over and over again, that you may not only understand but practice the lessons given. Read diligently and prayerfully, and then give yourselves to the Lord to be guided and controlled by His Holy Spirit.7MR 9.3
Children, you can do much for the Lord. Ask your parents to give you the money they are planning to spend in buying you presents, and bring this money to the Lord Jesus. The cause of God is in great need of money. Just at this time there are precious instrumentalities belonging to God in danger of being lost to the cause. The Sanitarium in Denmark and the Publishing House in Norway are in great need of help. We cannot afford to see these precious institutions passing out of our hands. Let children be taught to practice self-denial in regard to spending money for themselves or their friends. Let them make presents to God by helping His oppressed institutions. Children, bring your offerings to the Lord. Let them be offerings of self-denial, because you are anxious to act as the Lord's helping hand in doing missionary work. Some can give but little, but by His blessing the Lord can make that little go a long way.—Manuscript 71, 1900, 1, 2. (.)7MR 9.4