YES, YESTERDAY WAS A VERY BLESSED DAY FOR ME! ~ As believers, we know that everyday is a blessed day in the Lord. And we know the blessed joy of gathering every week with our Christian brothers and sister in fellowship to worship and glorify our Lord.
However, yesterday, June 11, 2017, was a very special day for me. Let me explain. In our church fellowship I have a very, very special Friend. His name is Prince - and he is so aptly named. Every time Prince sees me, he runs up and hugs me. That in itself is a true blessing. But yesterday he went that extra mile to show me his special love.
As we usually do at the end of our Sunday sermon message, our pastor will pray for us, that we might renew and recommit ourselves to daily walking with our Lord, daily refreshing in our hearts "all that He has commanded us" (Matthew 28:20) that we might share it during the week with others, and daily recommitting ourselves to glorifying Him in all that we do.
During that prayer, many will go forward and kneel at the altar while others of us will kneel at our seats. Normally I kneel at my seat to receive this prayer and recommit my daily life to Him.
But, yesterday God had a different plan for me. As our pastor begin the prayer and some were going to the alter - my good buddy and dear friend, Prince, and his dad, Jerry, were going to the altar. But, Prince stopped - and walked over to me, took my hand, and led me to the altar along with him and his dad. How could I even hesitate - when God sent this blessed child to lead me to the altar?
And, I was reminded of the Scripture passage found in Isaiah 11:
Yes, in that passage it says that the child shall lead the lamb and the lion - but if we associate that verse and teaching with other teachings of Jesus Christ, I believe we can see a much deeper meaning.
Mark 10:15 (nasb), "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
Matthew 18:1-6 (nasb), "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, 'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.'"
Matthew 19:13-14 (nasb), "Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, 'Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"
Jesus Christ saw in the little children pure love, pure humility, unquestioning faith - and teaches us that we, too, need to be like those small children if we are to truly follow Him.
So, yesterday, Sunday, June 11, 2017, God sent a small child, my buddy Prince, to lead me to the altar to join him in love, humility, and a recommitment of faith - which is our due obedience to the One who died for us.
Prince, my very dear Friend and Buddy, THANK YOU!
God bless, Bill
However, yesterday, June 11, 2017, was a very special day for me. Let me explain. In our church fellowship I have a very, very special Friend. His name is Prince - and he is so aptly named. Every time Prince sees me, he runs up and hugs me. That in itself is a true blessing. But yesterday he went that extra mile to show me his special love.
As we usually do at the end of our Sunday sermon message, our pastor will pray for us, that we might renew and recommit ourselves to daily walking with our Lord, daily refreshing in our hearts "all that He has commanded us" (Matthew 28:20) that we might share it during the week with others, and daily recommitting ourselves to glorifying Him in all that we do.
During that prayer, many will go forward and kneel at the altar while others of us will kneel at our seats. Normally I kneel at my seat to receive this prayer and recommit my daily life to Him.
But, yesterday God had a different plan for me. As our pastor begin the prayer and some were going to the alter - my good buddy and dear friend, Prince, and his dad, Jerry, were going to the altar. But, Prince stopped - and walked over to me, took my hand, and led me to the altar along with him and his dad. How could I even hesitate - when God sent this blessed child to lead me to the altar?
And, I was reminded of the Scripture passage found in Isaiah 11:
Isaiah 11:6 (nkjv), "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them."
Yes, in that passage it says that the child shall lead the lamb and the lion - but if we associate that verse and teaching with other teachings of Jesus Christ, I believe we can see a much deeper meaning.
Mark 10:15 (nasb), "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
Matthew 18:1-6 (nasb), "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, 'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.'"
Matthew 19:13-14 (nasb), "Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, 'Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"
Jesus Christ saw in the little children pure love, pure humility, unquestioning faith - and teaches us that we, too, need to be like those small children if we are to truly follow Him.
So, yesterday, Sunday, June 11, 2017, God sent a small child, my buddy Prince, to lead me to the altar to join him in love, humility, and a recommitment of faith - which is our due obedience to the One who died for us.
Prince, my very dear Friend and Buddy, THANK YOU!
God bless, Bill
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