H e l lo ! ! !
Have you ever been told you look like your mum or dad? Or your Auntie Jean or Uncle Bob? Many of us look like people in our families – and I’ve even noticed that some people’s pets look like their owners! Are there people you would like to look like? Or maybe there are people you admire, who you’d hope to be like in character rather than in looks? If you know and love God, then one of the things He wants is for us to grow to be more like Jesus. As we prepare for Easter, Topz looks at the life of a man called Stephen who loved Jesus and became like Him in lots of ways. I hope and pray it encourages you to want to become more like Jesus too. There are lots of other exciting things happening in this issue as well, including a look at some other amazing people we read about in the Bible: Abraham, Paul and Jesus’ top team, to name but a few. There’s also some ‘eye-spying’ going on, so watch out for that! And to get you started, I spy with my little eye something beginning with T ...
‘All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.’ 2 Corinthians 3 v 18
IN THIS . TOPZ .. FATHER GOD Page 3 MORE OF THE JESUS team Page 10
DANGER AHEAD Page 21 PRISONER IN ROME Page 29 Topz Bitz: Readers’ Own Club Pages page 34
STEPHEN AND JESUS Page 38 TOPZ FACTz FILE: ABRAHAM Page 49
ABRAHAM’S ADVENTURE Page 50 EYE-SPY Page 59
PAUL’S EY E- DEA Page 67
Answerz and Topz Order Form Page 73
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the bible books OLD TESTAMENT Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah MicaH Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi
new TESTAMENT Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation
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How to use It may be that some of you haven’t looked inside a Bible very much before. If so, here are a few helpful hints:
1: Each day in Topz there’s a Bible reading. It’s shown like this:
Genesis
25 v 2–5
2: To find this, turn to the Contents page near the front of your Bible and look for the name of the book – which in the example above is Genesis. Now find the page this book starts on and turn to it. 3: Y ou will have to turn on a few pages now to get to the right chapter.
4: Now look for the verse numbers which will be in smaller type. The chapter and verse will look like this:
Chapter
Verse
5: A fter reading the Bible passage, go back to the Topz page and see what it says. Each day ends with a prayer and sometimes an action point too. To solve the puzzles in Topz you will need a Good News Bible. If you don’t want to turn to the Contents page of your Bible all the time, you will see we’ve listed all the Bible books in order for you (see left). The ones you’ll be reading from in this Topz are highlighted with a star . Use this Topz Marker to keep your place in Topz. Cut it out and stick it to a piece of card to strengthen it.
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FATHER GOD That’s not fair! You were looking at my cards!
If you cheat again I’ll hit you!
No, I wasn’t!
You’re just a cheat!
Stop! Wait a minute! This is no way to behave!
You’re a bigger cheat than me!
What game are you playing anyway? Er ... ‘Happy Families’.
How odd that ‘Happy Families’ could end up like this! As Christians, we are part of God’s family, and if we all lived as our heavenly Father wants us to, what a wonderful, happy family it would be! Let’s look at what it means to have God as our Father.
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THURSDAY
1ST MARCH John
6 v 37–45
The marvellous magnet Of these three, who comes to God like iron to a magnet, and who says ‘no’?
TOM
(Answer on page 73)
Just think, God chose you to be His child and drew you to Himself like a magnet!
JANE
ANNE Read John 12 v 32–33. Jesus was lifted up on the cross. He took our punishment for sin by dying for us. Only then could He draw people all around the world to Himself and to the Father, because the Holy Spirit could now come and live in all of us who love Jesus. Thank You, heavenly Father, for loving me so much that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die for me. Amen. 4
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If you know it, write out the words to the song, ‘Father God, I wonder ...’ Then you could sing it! Or illustrate it and send it in to Topz.
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FRIDAY
First words
2ND MARCH Romans
8 v 15–16
Ask your mum or dad if they remember what your first words were. Often a baby’s first words are ‘Mummy’ or ‘Daddy’.
In Jesus’ days, people spoke Aramaic. ‘Daddy’ in Aramaic was ‘Abba’. ‘Abba’ is the word used in verse 15 where it says ‘Father’. It is like saying ‘Daddy’!
Why are these babies calling for their parents?
lehp
vloe
for h_ _ _
for l_ _ _
Coming !
doof for f_ _ _
truh
andreg
when h_ _ _
when in d_ n_ _r When we call to our heavenly ‘Daddy’ He hears our faintest cry.
WAAH! Father, thank You for hearing my every prayer. Amen.
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Think: Is there anything you need to call to your heavenly Father for right now?
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