Let the Little Children Come to Jesus

FOCUS

Mark 10: 13-16
13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

THINK

Jesus is telling us that children are important to HIM. Allow the little children to come to Jesus and know about HIM and experience a relationship with HIM. The kingdom of God is made up of children who know HIM.
My question is how do we do this when we allow abortion to kill so many unborn babies? If an unborn child dies, he or she goes right to heaven, but does not have that relationship with God that could have influenced this world for Jesus.
If the child lives and is not raised to know about Jesus, how can that child be an influence in this world for God? How can that individual know about God and enter heaven? It is much harder for an adult to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.
Jesus blessed the little children. This blessing is better than anything we could ever do for our own children. It is a blessing for each child to know God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Why would we want to deprive a child of this blessing? Are we too involved in our own little world that we don't care about our own children? We can give physical things to our chldren-food, shelter, clothes. How about spiritual things-knowledge of who God is, an opportunity to know Jesus and accept HIM as Lord and Savior, an opportunity to serve HIM and to influence others to God. How can our children do this , except they know Jesus on a close personal level?

ACT

As a son or daughter of God, it is my responsibility to make sure children have the opportunity to know Jesus. I can do that by example-living a life that is pleasing to God, by teaching children about Jesus-teaching Sunday School, teaching Bible School, coaching sports and including the things of God, transporting children to church, praying for these children, reading the Bible to them, providing a Bible for them to read, providing them time to ask questions, etc. We also need to support people who provide alternatives to abortion. There are agencies that encourage unmarried pregnant girls to deliver their babies. There are couples who would love to provide a home for these babies through adoption of through foster families. If I am called to this path, I need to follow through. We must support children so they can be blessed by Jesus.

PRAY

Father, I pray for the children. They need to be born so that they can know you in an intimate way. I pray for those who raise these children. Help them to include YOU in their provision of neccesities. The children need to know YOU in an intimate way. Thank you for what YOU do for these children and their parents.

OTHER NOTES

" Faith is personal, but never private "
Henk Eilander

Restrain Your Words

FOCUS

Proverbs 10:19
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.

THINK

Words can get you into a lot of trouble. If you gossip about someone, you are talking not about facts, but about things you may not know anything about. If you are negative in attitude and in the words you speak, you may cause someone to stumble and loose their direction to Christ. If you allow someone else's words to make you stumble, then you are taking your eyes off Jesus and you will sin. What is the solution?

ACT

Be very careful on the words that are used. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you in what words to say to reach others for Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you in what words to say to encourage others. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you in keeping your eyes on Christ.

PRAY

Lord, I ask you to direct my words today. Show me what I am to say and to whom I am to say those words. May my words be a testimony to YOU. I want to bring glory to your name. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

" Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it. Attitude is the single most significant decision I make each day "
C. Swindoll

Belief or Unbelief?

FOCUS

Mark 6:38-44, 52
38 But He (Jesus) said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”

39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about[c] five thousand men.

52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

THINK

Here we have the story of Jesus departing into the countryside to get some rest. The people follow him and want to hear more of his teaching. Jesus teaches about God to these people. After a good part of the day had been spent in listening to Jesus, the disciples ask Jesus how they are going to feed all these people because they do not have any food with them to feed all these people. So Jesus asks them to give him what food they do have. They come to Jesus with five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus tells the disciples to have the people sit in groups. So the disciples instructs the people to sit in groups of one hundreds and groups of fifties. Jesus takes the loaves and fish and bless the food and breakes it apart. He gives the food fragments to the disciples to distribute to the people. So all the people ate and were full. Then Jesus had the disciples pick up the remains of the food in baskets. They picked up twelve baskets of fish and bread fragments. The disciples counted five thousand men. That doesn't include the number of women and children who were in attendance.
Verse 52 tells us more about this story. The disciples were there and saw the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand with fish and the loaves. Yet we see that they hardened their hearts and did not understand how the miracle took place. They were right in the middle of a miracle, yet they did not understand it or put their trust in Jesus. How many of us are like that? We are in the middle of a situation and the Lord answers us in a miraculous way. Yet we do not acknowledge that the Lord had orchestrasted the miracle. Our hearts are hardened to acknowledge the source of the miracle. Are you able to use your spiritual mind or do you rely upon your carnal mind for answers?

ACT

We need to switch our minds from the carnal reality of this earth and look for our answers in God. The spiritual realm is where we find the anwers to how something miraculous happens. Are you willing to say to God," I don't understand how this happens now, I just know it happens because of YOU."

PRAY

Lord, help me to put a spiritual spin on things that happen to me rather than depend on my carnal mind. Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what you have for me. I put my faith in YOU and only YOU. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

" All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing "
Edmund Burke

Fear or Faith?

Mark 4:39-4139 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”[a] 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

THINK

We find in this passage that Jesus and the disciples were on the water. Jesus was sleeping and a great wind came up and tossed the waves and the boat around. The disciples are frightened and don't know what to do. Jesus woke and was annoyed that the disciples were so frightened, untrusting and downright crying out for help. Jesus immediately rebukes the wind by calling out, "Peace, be still." The wind ceased and a great calm was felt. Then Jesus turns to the disciples and says, "Why are you afraid? Where is your faith?" The disciples looked at one another and shook their heads, "Who could this be?"

ACT

Here were disciples that had been with Jesus a long time and they still feared the wind and waves. They couldn't quite get the idea that Jesus had control of the elements. They didn't put their faith in action. They panicked. How can we put our faith into action when we let the element of fear in our lives? We must put our trust in the Lord and ask that he will deliver us.

PRAY

Lord, be with us today so that we can put our trust in the Lord. Help us to get through each situation. Thank you for what you are going to do. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

" God formed me, Sin deformed me and Christ transformed me! "

Wise or Foolish Children

Proverbs 10:1-2

1A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
But righteousness delivers from death.

THINK

 

When a baby is born, family and freinds see many things. The baby may look like his father or mother. A nose may resemble the father's. They eyes may be the same as the mother's. As the baby grows up, the baby develops a personality. Again family and friends look for similarities in the personaility of the father and the mother with that of the baby. The father and the mother teach that child many things. Perhaps the child is inquisitive like the father or sensitive like the mother. Perhaps the child likes to do what Dad does or what Mom does. Whatever traits the child displays, they are usually traced back to the parents. No matter what anyone says, they are comparing the child to the parent to forcast who the child may turn out to be. Many parents take this to heart and try to shape and mold the child to display the best combination of their traits. This doesn't always work because the child has other influences that contribute to the shaping and molding of the child.

Many will say that the child's environment plays a part in how the child develops. Still others will say the experiences that a child has shapes his character. No two individuals have exactly the same experiences. Thus we are all differnet to a certain degree.

As a child grows the parents compares what choices that child is making to those that he or she would make. Conflict occurs. Parents has a certain way of perceiving a situation that differs from the child. Arguments and loud discusssions can ensue. The child is trying to learn various growing up issues for himself rather than to depend upon his or her parents for guidance. The son or daughter distance themselves from the parents to prove that they are growing up. Sometimes they are successful, but many times they fail and have to start over again.

As that son or daughter grows up into puberty, a father is glad or happy when his chld makes wise decisions. It is the mother who grieves when the child makes foolish mistakes. The father is proud when his son or daughter is wise. The mother grieves because all the nurturing in the world has not helped the child to make wise decisions. Instead the child makes foolish decisions.
Foolishness and wickedness profits no one. Yet if a child choose to make righteous decisions, his spiritual soul will be delivered from death.

ACT

 

Before a child is born, pray for the well being of the child's soul and a pliable personality that is attuned to God.

After the child is born, make sure you are setting an example that would please God. How do you know what pleases God? Read the Bible. It tells you many ways to raise a child in the ways of God. Pray for those around the child that they will be Godly examples as well. Pray for the relatives, grandparents, and friends to be holy as God is holy. Pray for the child's mother and father to be living testamonies to the glory of God. Put the child into the hands of God. God will protect, guide and direct.

PRAY

Dear Father in Heaven, I pray for each child born, that they will bring gladness to their fathers and happiness to the mothers. Let each child develop a sense of God's leading and obediance to God. Help that child to become a believer of Jesus Christ and thus glorify God.

OTHER NOTES

"Build your life on obedience to God's word and God will make you wise."



Faith in Action

SCRIPTURE:  Mark 2:1-5
1And again He (Jesus) entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

THINK

In this passage from Mark we read that Jesus in preaching in a house in Capernaum. He is being pursued by the crowd who want to hear him preach. There are so many people in the house that there is not even room in the house to stand. Jesus preaches and the crowd hangs onto his every word. No one leaves the house.

Then we see that four men bring their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed. They can't get into the house because of the crowd. They have carried their friend to the house where Jesus is preaching hoping and praying that Jesus can heal their paralysed friend. But they can't get near Jesus. They can't turn back, their hope was in the Jesus healing their friend. Imagine the diappointment if they couldn't succeed in their venture. The paralytic probably felt that he was doomed to never walk. The four men probably thought they had gotten their paralysed friend's hopes up only to have them dashed. How could they turn back now!

They looked around and became resourceful. One of the men may have spotted the outside stairs leading to the roof. Another man may have directed the others to take the roof apart. Another may have found something to use as a lever to pry apart the roof. Another man may have comforted the paralytic. It took a team working together to lower the paralyzed man through the roof to get close to Jesus.

When Jesus observed the scene taking place, He knew the paralytic was there through extraordinary means of his friends. They had faith that their friend would be made whole if they could get their friend close enough to Jesus to be healed. Because of that faith, Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. Later on in the passage we learn that Jesus tells the paralytic to "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

ACT

We find in this passage that faith was seen in action when the four friends brought the paralytic to Jesus. When they could not get in to see Jesus, they didn't stop there. They went forward with their action. The climbed the steps, took apart the roof and lowered the man into the crowd around Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith in action, he turned his attention to the need of the paralytic. The need Jesus saw was the need for forgiveness then the need for healing of the body. This could not have taken place without the action of the four friends. Their faith was the catalyst for miracle to happen.

PRAY

Lord, help me to be that friend who helps those who need a touch from the Master's hand. Show me how I can put my faith into action. Let me be the hands and feet of those in need. Thank you for forgiveness and for healing the broken body. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

It takes action to put your faith in motion.

Will you be a fisher of men?

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.                  Mark 1:17-18

THINK

Jesus calls you into service for God wherever you happen to be. He called Simon and Andrew, his brother, to follow him and he would make them fishers of men. Remember when Jesus saw Simon and Andrew they were casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Now he is going to use that occupation as a metaphor for what they are going to do in the future. They will no longer catch fish, they will catch men. The fish would have been used for physical food. The men would be used to offer others spiritual food. This was a way to spread the gospel. When one man testifies to the goodness of God and the life changing events in his life, then another catches the fire to also have a relationship with God. Essentially that man becomes an instruement of spiritual food to nourish the souls of others.

ACT

Are you being asked to change direction in your life? Instead of casting into the sea for fish, you are being asked to cast your nets for people to hear the gospel. Are you willing to immediately put your nets down and follow Jesus? Can you let the Holy Spirit guide you in the changes that will take place. It took faith on the part of Simon and Andrew to put those nets down. That was their livelihood for them as well as their families. They had much to loose in the physical world but much to gain in the spiritual world. The answer seems to stem back to faith. Simon and Andrew had to have faith that this move in their occupation would be benefical to them and to their families.

PRAY

Lord, I don't know what plans you have in store for me. I know that I must have faith before anything spiritually can happen. I must put aside my fears and anxieties and do as Simon and Andrew did. Lay down my nets and follow the Savior. Help me to hear YOUR voice, O Lord, so that I may develop my faith in YOU and lay down my nets to follow YOU. Amen.

OTHER NOTES

It is easy to say this doesn't happen in this time and era, but we must have our ears open to God and listen to His voice. We must obey and then we will be put on the path that God had in mind for us all along. Don't you want to follow God's plan? Think of all the adventures you may be missing if you don't exercise your faith.

Let me be acceptable to YOU

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.            Psalm 19:14

Thoughts

Let the words that come out of my mouth be pleasing to God. Let me think on the words of the Lord, let those words go into my soul and bubble forth when I need them to buoy my spirit. Let my words and thoughts be acceptable to the Lord. The Lord is my strength and my redeemer.

ACT

I can be careful what words I use. I can read the Bible and pray. I can mediate and let the words seep into my soul so that I can use them when I need them.  What goes into my head will come out of my mouth.  Do I really want to be disrespective to my God?  Do I want to be disrespectful to my fellow man?  Do I want to be disrepectful to myself?  Words can uplift or they can destroy.  It is up to me to gurard my thoughts and my words.  I must rely upon YOU for You give me strength to face each day.

PRAY

Lord, let the words of my mouth and the mediatations of my heart be pleasing unto you, O Lord, for you are my savior and my redeemer. You give me strength when I am weak. I depend upon you. Amen.

God is our help and our shield

Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.

Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You. Psalm 33:20-22

Our soul waits and yearns for the Lord because He is our help in times of trouble. He is also our shield. He protects us from physical and spiritual danger. We should rejoice in HIm because we have trusted his holy name. We call out to you, O Lord, to have mercy on us just as we have hope in YOU.

Father God, thank you that we can come to you and we can wait upon You to help us in times of physical and spiritual trouble. YOU are our protector and our shield. Because of this we need to rejoice in YOU for we have trusted in your holy name. Lord, have mercy on us just as we have hope in YOU. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to talk to you in prayer. Amen.