children

Jesus Loves the Little Children

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” Mark 9:36-37 ESV

Several years ago there was a young family at church that my wife helped out by picking up the children from school and babysitting them for part of the afternoon. David, was about seven and his little sister Leticia maybe five. On Sunday mornings whenever I saw them I would smile and say “Hey guys so good to see you!” . David would wave and give me a big smile but Leticia always hid her face behind her mom. At that time I was working as a translator in our church so I was always seated in the back, speaking through a wireless headset for those who didn’t speak Portuguese. Week after week, I would smile and wave at Leticia and week after week the results were always the same. “I’m sorry pastor.” her mother would say Leticia is just so shy.”

“No problem. She’ll smile for me one day when she’s ready.” I always answered. But as months passed I figured that day would never come. Then Sunday, just as I was just getting comfortable in my seat, I noticed Leticia getting out of her pew and then she turned, looked at me with a huge smile and came running to the back and jumped up in my lap!

That scene reminded me of today’s verse. Jesus was walking down the road with his disciples who were having an argument about which one of them was the most important. And right in the middle of the action Jesus reaches out and takes a small child by the hand. we all know that kid do not hang out with people they don’t like or trust. You can lecture them all day about being polite to your guests but you can’t force them to be friendly. But Jesus always had children around him. Maybe they had heard how he raised a sick little girl from the dead, or about the boy with seizures who Jesus had healed. Then there was the day when a boy gave Jesus five loaves of bread and did a miracle. Children showed up almost everywhere Jesus went. Maybe they liked being around him not because of the miracles but because, they knew they mattered to Him. He noticed them, talked to them and on occasion even took them in His arms and blessed them. So if we need healing are lonely or even just need someone to talk to, remember that Jesus is not far away. We don’t need to convince Him that we are important. All children are important to Jesus ( no matter how old we are!) You can just run and jump up in his lap today if you’re ready. He is just waiting for you to come! I also hope you love this rendition of Jesus Loves the Little Children sung by the Wilson family. It made my day!!!

Reserving a Table

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Then the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken!”          Isaiah 58:14 ESV

It is a precious part of our inheritance as Christians, to pass on to our children the blessings of Sabbath. So, we need to be careful not to spend their inheritance on ourselves. Instead of endless busy days, God has a plan for rest and refreshment.  When we come to the end of our lives will our children and grandchildren have special memories of Sundays that we have spent with them? So, if we want to have a something to pass on, we must put in a reservation.

Think of it like going to a fine restaurant. You cannot just walk in any time you wish and expect to find a table. If you do not call ahead and get your reservation, then chances are pretty good that someone else will already be seated instead of you. It is the same with the Sabbath. Everyone wants our time. If they think it is okay to take it on Sundays, then they will not hesitate to ask. My wife taught me a great lesson when we were running a business together. If you were one of those who decided that Sunday afternoon was a convenient time to call us, you would have heard her say, “You’ve got six other days to talk to my husband about work. This is our day for God and our family. Thank you and have a wonderful day!”  Things that are rare have great value and you will begin to realize just how valuable that day is when you reserve it for God!

Poetry and The Love of God

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You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 11:18-20 ESV

I have been writing verse since my early teens, and though I wince when I read some of those overly melodramatic lines, occasionally people were willing to pay for a poem. Maybe my fascination was connected to my parents’ idea that learning poetry was an important part of an education. I recall being compelled to learn, the Charge of the Light Brigade and Tennyson’s words “Half a league half league half a league onward” still stick in my memory along side of Bible passages learned for catechism class and the lyrics to my favorite Beatles’ songs. What all of these pretty diverse sources had in common is that I remembered them.

Now this simple post is hardly an adequate place for answering the question “What exactly is the purpose of poetry” But this morning we could simply ask “What is God’s purpose for poetry?” Interestingly the Bible verse today talks about a parents’ job of teaching God’s words to their children. Poetry is one of God’s ways of passing along the story of His love so that they will remember. Think of the scene from the Last Supper as Jesus was breaking the bread and blessing the cup. He said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” and then they sang a hymn (A poem from the book of Psalms.) God often uses the poetic form so that we will not only hear Him but then also remember what He has said for the rest of our lives. Of course the Old Testament book of Psalms is well known as poetry but even the gospels are filled with poetry like, The Beatitudes, The Lord’s Prayer and the song of Mary.

So since we believe that God has called us to write a bit of verse it will helps us immensely to begin with His purpose and that is that He wants people to hear and remember Him! We need to keep things plain, simple and yet attractive. Just consider how all the obscure and sometimes strange modern forms of poetry pale in comparison to one simple childhood poem in terms of impact. 

 Twinkle twinkle little star How I wonder what you are
 Up above the world so high like a diamond in the sky

This anonymous work which is hardly even considered “Real Poetry” tells us about the wonder of childhood in just two lines. Simplicity married to meaning makes a great poem even if no other poets like it. Poetry isn’t meant just for poets, it is meant for everyone. So if we want to pass along to the children of the next generation the great wonder of the love of Jesus let’s keep it simple. In the most ordinary of things there is beauty and a song in even the smallest puff of wind. 

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass
He speaks to me everywhere

Have a blessed day! Pass along the love of God to at least one person if not with words then with the poetry of your day lived for Him.