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Thoughts Archived > Welcoming A Child Like This


14 Oct 2012

                                   

 

October 14, 2012

    Welcoming A Child Like This     

Luke 9: 46 - 48

 

Luke

Then there was an argument among them as to which of them would be the greatest.  But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side.  Then he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me.  Whoever is the least among you is the greatest." 

 

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Thoughts.....

 

I hope you are enjoying wonderful autumnal weather like I am today....wherever you are.  Gosh, it's great outside! 

Okay, so let's look at the very first sentence. The disciples were arguing.  Lest you have been thinking you have to be perfect to be a believer, follower, apostle, disciple, or anything in between or more, you do not.  Should you strive to be?  Pretty close.  Everyone seems to think we should be just like Jesus who was perfect, never lashed out, never got angry, etc.  This is a fallacy.  Jesus got angry lots.  Righteously so.  Different than for self or just because.  So all you folks who are sitting in prison reading this saying Jesus got angry and you were justified in what ever you did.....think again.  Jesus got angry about things done against God and the Kingdom of God.  Eat crow, humble yourself, ask forgiveness, move on as best you can.  And just because you are not in prison does not rule out all others.  Think about your life, your actions.  Also, eat crow, humble yourself, ask forgiveness, move on as best you can.  ALL fall short of the glory of God.  Make better choices, starting with accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior and asking Holy Spirit into your life.  Seek to be a child of God to be welcomed by him.  In Christ, all are equal....do not ever presume anyone is better than another.  ALL means ALL.  We all fall short without him or all stand united with him.

Let's look for a moment at what a child is.  Innocent, naive, trusting, welcoming, embracing, thirsty for knowledge, eager to learn, pure.  They are filled with love (see also 1 Cor.13: 4-8), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control [that first step....] (Gal 5:22-23).  They represent simplicity, humility.  They are confident, assertive, appreciative, goal-oriented, generous, fair, respectful and friendly.  And yet, according to a dictionary, they are 'those who have not reached maturity'.  Hmmmmm.  Children don't seek to be great, they seek to BE.  Hopefully....for....with....and of....God. 

In the hustle and bustle of life, we learn to be grabby instead of giving.  We learn to want to be great, instead of just be in the fullness of all we can humbly be.  We learn to hate, mistrust, throw away.....people, pets, things.  We learn to hit, hit back, resent knowledge and wisdom.  We find it hard to find joy, peace, have no patience, are not kind, good, and surely not faithful or gentle.  Whatever happened to self-control?  There is nothing simplistic in wanting everything....now.  Wherein lies humility in the fight to be the best and have the best...not for God or with God?  Confidence has become arrogance, assertiveness has become abusive aggression.  There is appreciation for nothing, even if handed to us.  Goal oriented....only in our greed.  We are not generous unless it benefits us.  What was the meaning of fair?  We expect respect, but refuse to give it.  And we are only friendly to get what we want....or already have, of which we want more.  Truly the dictionary has it right.....children are those who have not reached maturity, for surely those who have, would be listed in the paragraph before this one. 

Is anyone perfect, no.  I've said it before.  ALL fall short of the glory of God.  But Jesus is trying to make a point here.  To the world, children constitute 'the least of these'.  Animals do, too.  And yet who was it that was allowed to sing Alleluia and sing Glory to God in the highest in heavens, and who surround God in heaven?  Animals.  Not humans....animals.  And who did he make first to bring him joy?  Animals.  In Romans 8, it says 'we, too, wait for the second coming of man'.  We humans are the 'too'.  So who came first?  The animals.  The animals wait first in line for the second coming of man.  Jesus died for them first.  Pay attention.  [More on this in my very first 'Thoughts' in 'Scriptures....Archived' found in 'The Family Room'.]  

Jesus said, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me."  He goes on to say, "and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me." 

Have you work to do to be a child?  Someone who is mature?  To be a child of God?

Do you believe in God?  That he created you?  Do you believe that Jesus came to earth to die for you, so you could have forgiveness of sins and be offered eternal life?  Have you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of your life and Savior...asked him into your heart?  Do you believe Holy Spirit was made available to you, after Jesus went to heaven, and, that Holy Spirit is to be your Comforter, your Teacher to learn more about God, Jesus, himself and the Kingdom of God?  Have you asked Holy Spirit to come into your life? 

If so, have you welcomed a little child....either of the age of a child, as we understand it, or a child not of maturity in the Lord....into the Kingdom of God? 

Our job on earth, the reason we were birthed was to learn that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit are [picture Santa and the M & M guys saying 'they do exist'], who they are, how wonderful they are, receive them, learn more about them, go forth sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all, ask and welcome all children into the Kingdom of God, and do greater things than Jesus in building the Kingdom of God.  Jesus said so......'you will do greater things than I".

Within all of us is an inner child, a parent, and an adult, emotionally speaking.  Our spirituality lives in the child within.  Jesus knew this.  He knew that when he said anyone who welcomes a 'child like this'.  Regardless of the translation you are using to study from, 'child' means 'child'.  Figuratively or not.

I invite you into the Kingdom of God today.  Please invite the other children you know.  This is how we grow the Kingdom of God.  We enter as a little child.  It is God's hope that we affirm and confirm Jesus' death and resurrection by entering the Kingdom of God and live every day with right living.  Live as a child....of God.

Let me leave you with the classic poem by Dorothy Law Nolte who also wrote a book entitled Children Learn What They Live.  May it, and the Scriptures with Holy Spirit, guide you on your path to righteousness for His name's sake.

 

Children Learn What They Live

 

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If chldren live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.

If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.

If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.

If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.

If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.

If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.

If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.// 

 

If children live with God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, they are loved, will give love, be forgiven of their sins and offered eternal life.  Consider living with them today, and reaching out to all other children in the world be they your parents, your children, your friends, co-workers, enemies.  Your pets, and other creatures outside your door.  Don't think they can't hear you. 

Let me tell you a true story.  If I don't pray and read scripture timely, my cat, Cocoa, climbs up on the armoire and beats on the frame of the picture I have of Jesus holding a lamb.  She doesn't settle down until I pull out my Bible and sit down.  Then she climbs down and sits in my lap while I read ALOUD and pray.  When I am done, she gives me a hug and goes to snuggle somewhere else.  The day Juliette (cat) died, she was lying on my chest.  I was lying down holding her in her last moments.  She had barely any life left, no strength, was barely breathing.  All of a sudden she turned her head toward the window and leaped into the air and was climbing in the air like Santa's reindeer.  She went 3-4 feet across mid-air.  Her eyes were aglow and she had such joy on her face.  Fearing she would break through the glass or collapse to the floor, I grabbed her in mid-air.  She was 'gone', yet I truly believed she lived....she lives today....in heaven.  I have no doubt Jesus came for her then and there.  God created the animals first.  They, too, wait.  

Folks, I also have no doubt that Jesus lives and he can live in you.  Will you let him?  Will you be ready on the last day, when the trumpet sounds and he comes for you?  Your time will most likely come before THE end times.  Be ready.  Accept him into your heart as a child today, trusting him with faith sincere.  Live for him as a child of God.  Be all those things a child is.....welcoming, embracing, thirsty for knowledge, eager to learn, filled with love....loving..........

Be a child of God in the Kingdom of God.  Accept Jesus into your heart today and ask Jesus to baptize you with his Holy Spirit, so you will learn how to perfectly love them and worthily magnify their Holy names.  

 

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Let Us Pray

 

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I come to you today as a little child with faith sincere.  I ask you to please forgive me of my sins, known and unknown.  I ask you to please show me how I can better live my life for and with you.  And to better see others as you see them.  Help me to not condemn others, but offer them you.  The 'ALL' part of 'all fall short of the glory of God' includes me.  Let me not beat myself up over that, but learn a better way how to perfectly love you and worthily magnify your Holy Name.  I want to thank you for the parents you gave me.  Albeit briefly on this earth, they instilled in me you, and how to love and love greatly.  I will be eternally grateful to them for that....and all the other wonderful, and sometimes not quite so wonderful things, because it all brought me here....to you.  Help me to stay humble, but know my inner strength.....you.  May I always make room for you in my life.....may you always make room for me in yours.  Let me not live in my inner child, but let my inner child live in and with you.  Help me to attain maturity....as a child of God, and be all those things a child is.  Help me to be wise, but only wise per the Kingdom of God.  Help me honor you in all things.....may I always love as you do.  Heal me of all those things that may get in the way of me being the best I can be for you.  And for myself and those around me.  Help me rise above all the negative things thrown at me by Satan.  That I may show others they can, too, because of you.  May all glory and honor go to you, O Lord.  Thanks for creating me, loving me, living and dying for me.  Holy Spirit thank you for baptizing me with all you have to give, that I may walk in the Kingdom of God, now and hopefully forever.  I love you.  Amen.       

 

Lord,LordJesJeJeJJjEJJJ     JJThe LORD is king!  Let the nations tremble!  T***

 

More love.... 

  Benediction....Blessing

 

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

 

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

 

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation. 

It is not how we worship, but that we worship....the Trinity!   

 

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If you feel that the Church of the Holy Spirit has inspired or helped you, we'd like you to prayerfully consider tithing regularly to us, or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

 to

 "Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

 

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  Our Current Cause

 

It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, or animals, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart.  

    

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and God's....and may God richly bless you! 

BesidesBesid   

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In the meantime, we hope you will trust us to direct them to where the need is the greatest.

 

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    One last thing....

 

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

 

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

 

  Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

 

And the people said,

"Amen."

 

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided. 

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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Bible Authors and Minister