Author: © Christian National Church of Christ

You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
Psalm 91:13-15 NIV
{Prayer}
Lord, help me always to look to You in any difficult situation, knowing that whatever my need, You will in some way supply it in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

Father God, let this touch someone’s heart today in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

I like this about what Jesus said: Jesus told a story to teach His disciples that they should continue to pray, and not be discouraged when prayers aren’t answered right away.

Once there was a wicked Judge who feared neither God nor man. The judge was very unfair. A poor widow lived in the judge’s city, and she kept coming to the judge and asking him to punish a man who had hurt her. For a while the judge wouldn’t listen to her. After a while the judge wouldn’t listen to the poor widow. Afterward he said to himself, it’s not that I fear God, but this woman bothers me, so I will do what she asks. Then Jesus said, if that unfair judge did what the widow asked because she asked all so often. Won’t God who is Holy and who loves His children, eventually give them what they pray for, even though it seems for a while as though He isn’t listening to them?

Origin of Children Should Be Seen and Not Heard This proverb has its origins in the religious culture of the 15th century, where children, particularly young women, were meant to stay silent unless spoken to or asked to speak. This proverb first appeared in Mirk’s Festial, published by a clergyman around 1450: Maybe the clearest example of Jesus opening doors for women is in Luke 10:38-42, (the story of Martha and Mary. If you’ve grown up in church you’ve probably heard this story.) “At the Home of Martha and Mary” As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
(Why was the early Christian attitude toward children so unusual? Simply because it recognized the child as a person. Both children and adults were equal in the kingdom of God. The Christians taught that God cared for children, as well as slaves, women, and barbarians, just as much as He did for men.)
Early Church: Jesus’ teachings concerning children were faithfully followed by the early church, which believed that to receive a child in the name of Christ was to receive Christ Himself. Admonitions against the pagan practices of abortion and child abandonment were found in the earliest Christian writings. The Epistle of Barnabas commanded: Thou shalt not slay the child by procuring abortion; nor again, shalt thou destroy it after it is born. Thou shalt not withdraw thy hand from thy son, or from thy daughter, but from their infancy thou shalt teach them the fear of the Lord.
One day, after Jesus had been teaching people about God, some mothers started bringing their babies and little children to Jesus. Jesus,” one of the mothers asked, “you are such a good teacher. Will you please place your hand on my child’s head and give her a blessing? Jesus was very happy to bless the little children. He loved children. it reads in Matthew 19:13-15; 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.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.}
Jesus’s response shows he looks at children differently from how the disciples and society see them. For him, they are examples of the attitude it takes to belong to him. Children cannot do much independently. They cannot earn their place in the Kingdom of Heaven. But that’s the point: The Kingdom of God is a gift, not a reward for people who are important or who have done important things for God. The story ends with Jesus embracing the children and blessing them. In this way, Jesus showcases what he has just explained: it’s the people who have nothing to offer but who do want to belong to him who are welcome in the Kingdom of God.
It reads in Mark 9:33-37, ~ They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
In this passage, too, Jesus says children can be an example. That story is all about how being humble. This is about being open to the Kingdom of God like children are. The question of how to enter the Kingdom of God is also at the heart of the other stories preceding and following today’.
It reads in Mark 9:42-49, “If anyone causes one of these little ones, those who believe in me, to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck, and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire.

Jesus uses examples to explain how you should get rid of everything that gets between you and God, even though that might be painful.
Mark 10:13-16; People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone, who will not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them, and blessed them.
And in Mark 10:17-31, As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good, except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this, the man’s face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man, this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
So Jesus says the Kingdom of God is more important than wealth, and even more important than your family.
It reads in Luke 18:15-17. People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone, who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.””
Jesus Christ and his apostles had left Capernaum ( Capernaum, in the Galilee of northern Israel, is a Biblical village, located not far from other important Christian sites in Israel )and crossed into the region of Judea, on the Lord’s final journey toward Jerusalem. In a village, people began bringing their little children to Jesus to have him bless them and pray for them.

{Let’s Pray}
Father God, I am believing for everyone to learn the precious reminders of the relationship You desire for us to have with You. The relationship of trust, love, and reliance on You as we all learn and mature in Your word and obedience as we grow in Your faith which is a gift in Jesus’s Precious Name Amen.
{Power Verse}
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3 NIV

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:16-18 NIV
{Prayer}
Dear Father, thank You for the Holy Spirit and for the help He gives. Teach me how to fix my thoughts on You and Your love and power in Jesus’ Precious Name Amen.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:9-10 NIV
{Prayer}
Thank You, God, for people who help with no thought of recognition or reward. Help me to be one of those people in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:4-5 NIV
{Prayer}
Dear Father God, help me grow in Your grace, even when the tears are falling! I thank You in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

Everyone that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. Matthew 7:8
{Prayer}
Heavenly Father, You, have prepared things for us that we can have if only we believe. May we come to Thee in our weakness and ask in Jesus’s Precious Name Amen.

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

John 6:35-37 NIV

{Prayer}
Father God, remind us of why we are the objects of Your constant love and care in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 1:4-5 NIV

{Prayer}
Thank You, Lord, for not rationing Your wisdom when I seek it. You always give more than I ask in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Luke 21:33 NIV

“Prayer”
Lord, help me to keep my mind fixed on You and Your true way of Salvation in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

“So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” Genesis 1:27. God created Adam from the dust of the ground by breathing life into him. So, he literally carried the “breath of God” inside of him. We were given physical bodies, but the Lord also gave us spirits, the way He exists. God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, were not inactive before creating the world. God planned and purposed it before humanity came onto the scene. Once we were created, God then directed His love and energies toward us. All we need to know about God is what He has done and what He plans to do in the future. He has revealed this to us in the Bible – the Word of God. As we read the Bible we will see as we read and study and pray that God is all and all. Nobody created God because He has always existed. God is supreme above all things. He is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. We will never be able to comprehend the great depths of who God is. From the Bible, we know that God is necessary for the creation of all things. God is a purposeful, personal, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient Being. God is one Being in three divine Persons. Yes, God created the universe. There’s just one almighty God “LORD” who created this whole world. Scientists claim that the universe was created by an explosion of energy and matter. Which then assembled to form the different planets and eventually life started after millions of years. There is one black hole where universes are created and expelled but they are still related to their origin which brings the concept of the Trinity and beyond so yes, every universe was created by God who has the purpose of administrating it. Briefly summarizing all living good or evil are loved by God as all are his creation. The reason God created the universe is the same are the reason he created humans. In both cases, it is because God, by his very nature, is relational. God himself exists as three–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Son loves the Father. They are one, the Father gives glory to the Son and the Son loves the Father (John 17:20-23 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.). God seeks relationships. Throughout His earthly life, the Lord Jesus was demonstrating to His disciples that He was fully God yet fully Man. John 20:23, Jesus tells His disciples, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 17:23, NIV: I in them and you in me–so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. So, we can’t miss it. Ironically, there are wide differences of opinion on the subject of unity among those who profess to follow Christ. As believers, we are called into one body, the body of Christ Jesus. We are to strive for unity among ourselves in all things. Unity is the state of being one or single of minded. The God we serve is a God of unity who desires that His church lives in unity and harmony built on the foundation that is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who draws us together and the power of the Holy Spirit that makes our bond stronger between believers and unbelievers. Our triune God is the supreme example of unity. Adam and Eve enjoyed peaceful fellowship with God, but their sin brought a great division between them and God, and consequently, between us and God (1 Corinthians 15:22 NIV For as in Adam all die, so in Christ, all will be made alive.) Through the cross, Christ brought us into a loving union with God.

( 1 Peter 3:18 NIV: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. ). Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

James 5:16 ESV

{Let’s Pray}
Father God, I thank You and praise You that You created all and all that by grace through faith I have the privilege to enter into the presence of the Lord and abide in Jesus Christ and He in me. I believe that I may walk with integrity, truthfulness, humility, and grace. I believe that in Your strength, I may bring forth godly works of righteousness for Your name’s sake. May my actions and attitudes reflect the godly characteristics that are pleasing in Your sight. If there is someone out there in this world that wants to know You and repent let them speak this prayer with me from the heart. Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I ask You to please forgive my sins. I believe in my heart that Jesus is Your Son; that He died for me on the cross and that You raised Him back to life. Jesus, I declare that You are my Lord and I open my heart to You in Jesus’ Precious Name Amen.

{Power Verses}
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:37–38, NIV