Luke 2:52 (The Message Bible)
And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people.
My family and I would like to congratulate Sis. Tereh Diaz and the Friday School teachers a blessed WIN – Al Ain Children’s Ministry 10th year Anniversary. May the Lord reward all of you richly in Christ Jesus!
The children’s ministry is very essential in any church or ministry. In them we plant the seeds of faith that will give them hope for today and for the future. We salute every Friday school teacher who has given his or her time with the children. It is never easy to teach young children the way of the Lord. They require great patience, care and love for these little ones if they were to grow spiritually.
My prayer is that the children of this church would grow up to maturity unto the full stature of Christ. This will require teachers as well as all members of Christ’s body to accomplish this monumental task. We thank all of those who have given us support for the last 10 years for the benefit of the children.
Eph 4:11-16 (NKJV)
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children (that is, not to be childish in behavior, but with childlike faith- note mine), tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
This year our annual Church theme is “LET US GO ON TO MATURITY” (Heb 6:1).
The challenge for us adults is to be very mature in our Christian faith. By this we mean that we should be children themselves to minister to them. In the Bible, children are considered blessed by God because of their purity and innocence. Jesus challenged the disciples to be children themselves if they want to enter the Kingdom of God:
Luke 18:15-17 (NKJV)
Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
This is the mystery of the Kingdom of God. To be mature in faith is to be childlike in God’s eyes. The disciples in this passage were adults acting like immature children by rebuking the parents who wanted their infants to be touched by Jesus.
When Jesus was just twelve years of age, he was acting more mature and adult-like while in the temple teaching. Though he was a child, he was actually very mature beyond his years by declaring that He was doing His heavenly Father’s business.
Luke 2:46-49 (NKJV)
Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." 49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"
If we are going to be mature like Jesus, let us also declare that we are doing the Father’s will in our lives. Are we moving in His will? If we are pre-occupied with our own business and not God’s, then we are still immature. By this time we ought to be teachers ourselves (Hebrew 5:12).
Finally, brethren, let us well heed the words of Christ:
Matt 18:1-6 (NKJV)
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Such is the Father’s love to little children that whoever causes them to sin is worthy of death! Let us therefore fear God and love our children and become like them in spirit. Let us become teachable as children so we can teach them as well how to live. Let us humble ourselves knowing that it is not our age, knowledge or strength that enabled us to enter heaven but by receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior with faith in our hearts. This is a gift from God, not of works. (Eph 2:8, 9). John tells us that Jesus gave us the right to become children and it was never our right to be so!
John 1:12-13 (NKJV)
But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
God bless the children of God in Christ!
Pastor Edward
WIN - Al Ain
