Children do not have to become adults to be saved, but adults have to become little children

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 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. ”   [Matthew 18:1-5]

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Children do not have to become adults to be saved, but adults have to become little children

The disciples had always thought of the kingdom of heaven as the golden age of peace and prosperity. Now they began to covet positions of preferment in it. Their self-seeking spirit found expression in the question, “who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Jesus answered with a living object lesson. Placing a little child in their midst, He said that men must be converted and become as little children to enter the kingdom of heaven. He was speaking of the kingdom in its inward reality; in order to be a genuine believer a man must abandon thoughts of personal greatness and take the lowly position of a little child. This begins when he acknowledges his sinfulness and unworthiness and receives Jesus Christ as his only hope. This attitude should continue throughout his Christian life.

The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself as a little child. Obviously the standards and values in the kingdom are exactly opposite those in this world. Our whole mode of thinking must be reversed; we must think Christ’s thoughts after Him.  “..Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8).
Whoever receives one of His humble followers in His name will be rewarded as if he had received the Lord Himself. What is done for the disciple or a believer is reckoned as done for the Master.
 

 

"...Whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven"

 

"Let the little children come to me..."

 “Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” [Matthew 19:13-14]

    



"MARY HAS CHOSEN WHAT IS BETTER"

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 “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”   [Psalm 27:4]

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"MARY HAS CHOSEN WHAT IS BETTER"

The Lord centers His attention on the word of God and prayer as the two great means of blessing. Mary sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word, while Martha was distracted by her preparations for the Royal Guest.

Martha wanted the Lord to rebuke her sister for failing to help, but Jesus tenderly rebuked Martha for her fretfulness! Our Lord prizes our affection above our service. Service may be tainted with pride and self-importance.Occupation with the Lord is the one thing needful, that good part which will not be taken away.

The Lord wants to convert us from Marthas into Marys.
While the Master does appreciate all that we undertake for Him, He knows that our first need is to sit  at His feet and learn His will, then in our tasks we shall be calm and peaceful and kindly, and at last our service may attain the perfectness.

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us--yes, establish the work of our hands.

"May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts." Psalm 119:173

Are we willing to sit at His feet like Mary did,  or are we busy with lot of other things like Martha?   Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. 
 

 

Mary has chosen what is better

    

"ONE THING IS NEEDFUL"

 “Jesus said,  "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is needful. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. ” [Luke 10:41-42]






 

"Queen Esther decided to go to the king uninvited to plead for her people"

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 “Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say,  “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.””   [Esther 4:10-11]

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"Queen Esther decided to go to the king uninvited to plead for her people"

By official order Haman was to be paid homage as one second only (next) to the king. But Mordecai refused to bow to a mere man, especially to an Amalekite.  The fear of God overcame any fear of man. The law of Moses did not forbid showing due respect to those in authority, but it did forbid the worship of any but God.  Eastern monarchs often demanded such worship.  Instead of dealing with Mordecai alone, Haman set in motion a plan to annihilate all the Jews in the kingdom!

Haman approached the king with an inflammatory report about the Jews, misrepresenting them as a danger to the kingdom. He urged that a decree be issued ordering their extinction. The king sealed the death writ with his signet ring, sentencing thousands of innocent men, women, and children to be sacrificed at the altar of Haman’s pride.

The Jewish population was stunned as the news broke throughout the land. There is always sadness where evil reigns. Mordecai put on mourner’s garb and lamented through the city until he came to the King’s gate.

Esther’s personal servant, came to find out why he continued in mourning. Mordecai told him the whole story. A copy of the written decree was sent back to the queen along with an order to use her position to intercede for her people.

The words of verse 14 should challenge each of us: “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther decided to go to the king uninvited to plead for her people. She is fully aware that she could be killed if she goes to the king’s presence uninvited. But her faith in God made her to go to the king with the plea to save her people anyway. She said, “If I perish, I perish”.


Dear reader, God might have placed you like queen Esther, to take a bold step, to share the Gospel to those people perishing without the Word of God. 
 

 

Queen Esther

    

"Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish."

 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. ” [Esther 4:16-17]






 

Sacrifice of Person, Praise and Possessions

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 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.  And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”   [Hebrews 13:15-16]

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Sacrifice of Person, Praise and Possessions

In the New Testament all believers are priests. They are holy priests, going into the sanctuary of God to worship, and they are royal priests going out into the world to witness.

"You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light"[1 Peter 2:5, 9].

There are at least three sacrifices which a believer-priest offers. 

First, there is the sacrifice of his person. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” [Romans 12:1].

The second is the sacrifice of praise. It is offered to God through the Lord Jesus. All our praise and prayer passes through Him before it reaches God the Father; our great High Priest removes all impurities and imperfections and adds His own virtue to it.

The sacrifice of praise is the fruit of those lips that acknowledge His name. The only worship that God receives is that which flows from redeemed lips.

The third sacrifice is the offering of our possessions. We are to use our material possessions in doing good, and in sharing with those who are in need. With such sacrificial living God is well pleased. It is the opposite of accumulating for self.

 

Kids singing praises to God

   

"Hosanna to the Son of David"

 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.    “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants  you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” [Matthew 21:16]

 

 "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus….is the King of Kings
Lord we lift up your name
With our hearts filled with praise
Be exalted O Lord our God
Hosanna in the highest."  




I will give you rest

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 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”   [Romans 12:1-2]

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"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him"

Paul mentions here that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. Our bodies stand for all our members and, by extension, our entire lives.  Total commitment is our reasonable service. It is our reasonable service in this sense: if the Son of God has died for me, then the least I can do is live for Him. “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me,” said the great British cricketer and missionary C. T. Studd,  “then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.”

Reasonable service may also be translated “spiritual worship.” As believer-priests, we do not come to God with the bodies of slain animals as sacrifice but with the spiritual sacrifice of yielded lives. We also offer to Him our service, and our possessions.

Paul also urges us not to be conformed to this world. In other words, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.” When we come to the kingdom of God, we should abandon the thought-patterns and lifestyles of the world. The world means the society or system that man has built in order to make himself happy without God. It is a kingdom that is antagonistic to God. The god and price of this world is Satan. All unconverted people are his subjects. He seeks to attract and hold people through the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. The world hates nonconformists—like Christ and His followers.

Christ died to deliver us from this world. The world is crucified to us, and we are crucified to the world. It would be absolute disloyalty to the Lord for believers to love the world. Anyone who loves the world is an enemy of God.  We should be transformed by the renewing of our mind, which means that we should think the way God thinks, as revealed in the Bible.
 

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Come to me and I will give you rest

   

..I will give you rest

 “If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.  ”  [Matthew 11:28-30]

 "Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all."