Children, You Gotta to Love Them

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 18:3

 

"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'?"

 

Matt 21:16

Children, you have to love them. They say the first things that come from their heads or mouths. They ask the most private and daunting questions. But, we all begin as infants and then mature to childhood, only to regress to child-likeness, dependent upon others in our dotage, old age. Is there a graceful way to accept this transition? If the Bible is too believed, there is: become a child  again; remain a child forever.

Most of us feel like Nicodemus felt when Jesus told him that he must be born again:"You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' ( John 3:7).  Yikes! Who wants to experience birth and childhood again? I am sure Nick was thinking: I hope there is a door number 2. But, alas, there is only one way to enter the kingdom: accept it as a child, innocently filled with faith.
 
Children aren’t afraid of vulnerability. Who is more vulnerable than a baby? Perhaps,  an elderly person. Knowing this fact, God has promised that even to our gray hairs and whiskers, He will be faithful to us. God knew that entering a second childhood would be hard for most of us, so He promised that He would guard us and protect us until we got home: "Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save you" (Isaiah 46:4).

Children are honest about their needs and wants; they don’t hide behind subterfuge and false vanity. No. What they want, they let you know. Interestingly, Jesus tells us we can come to the Father with our requests: don’t be shy. Tell it: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Take a cue from a child: if he has to potty, he calmly, or not so calmly, lets the world know, its potty time. We are invited to get just that honest with our heavenly Father. Jesus says that God knows what we need already, but we should ask. Just as Mom knows that hop jump means it’s potty time.

In fact, Jesus settles even for a bit brutal honesty himself when he states emphatically,
"If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more
will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?" (Matt 7:11).
So, why not relax today in being God's child. Lean back in His arms, and let Him Father you.

Daddy's Girl,
MJ

 

Big Heads Small Spirits

 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. (Matt. 18: 1-4)

The disciples thought they had Jesus and the kingdom all figured out, that is until Jesus threw them a curve ball. If you want to be big and important in the kingdom, you must take the smallest and weakest position. You see Jesus knew that He would defeat evil by becoming as weak and as vulnerable as a child.

As He lay His life down on the cross and submitted to His Father's will, He became the ultimate obedient child. He relinquished His divine rights and settled his human debts when He gave the responsibility of the care of his mother Mary to the beloved disciple John. Hebrews says that Jesus learned obedience by what he suffered: |Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered (Hebrews 5:8).

We are told that no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but it yields a harvest of righteousness for those who are trained by it (Hebrews 12:11). Suffering, hardship, and pain created a lasting legacy of grace for Jesus.  So, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God "Hebrews 12:2)

When one is a child, one is subject to those who are more powerful. In Jesus' case, He made Himself of no respect and submitted to death on the cross, despising its shame. He willing submitted himself to those who were in essence weaker.

Children know how to submit to the shameful processes, but not how to keep the shame from being in embedded in their self-concepts. When they are abused, they absorb the negative messages that scream of their lack of worth and value.

Jesus benefited from perfect parenting unlike all of us. Therefore, when the Pharisees bullied him, when his brothers mocked him and called him names, He knew who he really was. If I am to walk like Jesus, I must to be parented by God and know who I am in Him, so that no matter the abuse, I am not shamed by the actions of others or defined by them.

The disciples expected Jesus to establish His kingdom through force, to expel the Roman interlopers, to chase out the two-faced hypocrites, but instead Jesus became a child, meek and humble, but by doing so He destroyed the works of the devil. His innocence provided the key of victory over Satan.
Meek, humble, submissive, and obedient not exactly what the disciples believed the kingdom would be made of-  childlike qualities.


Still learning,
MJ
 

The Kingdom of Heaven: Seen and Heard

When Jesus' disciples tried to quiet and shush the children, they felt Jesus' ire rise. He responded that if they wanted to enter the kingdom of heaven that they must first become like a little child: "Then Jesus said, "Leave the children alone, and don't try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this" (Matthew 19:14). What is it about children? Their innocence; their joie- de-vivre. It can be contagious.

I don't think that the disciples meant to be obtuse- it was a cultural thing.The disciples were merely concerned for Christ's very busy schedule. He was in fact a very most auspicious visitor to the earth with an important mission to accomplish. Children are to be seen and not heard. They are to smile and be pretty things. They are to be abused and voiceless.  Jesus responded by telling the disciples that unless they could become like these children, they would not enter the kingdom of heaven.

As we played clapping games and other silly adventures with the girls from Roodewaal, I had but to wonder what home looked like. Would they continue to smile and laugh when they entered their front doors?

I too can become so preoccupied like the disciples that I forget what really matters. Thank goodness Jesus does not. He made time for the children, to chat with them, sit on his lap, and he laid hands on them and blessed them: The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them.  The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom.  Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them" (Mark 10:13-16).

What foresight that some parents had to bring their children to Jesus. How many parents do that today? I don't mean dropping the child off at Sunday School and disappearing, but  to be present as Jesus changes their hearts, as they grew and become the men and women God desires.

Today, I led intercession about violence against girls and women in South Africa. Afterwards, Yuri gave me a word about the cloak that the king’s daughters wore. I knew the scripture to which he was referencing. It too is sad story of abuse, sexual misconduct, incest (2 Samuel 13). It is Tamar’s story; her garment was taken from her by her brother who was inflamed with lust. But I found in this prophetic word that God was telling me that He would restore beauty for ashes and give crowns of gladness instead of mourning. The girls will not be ravished brothers, fathers, and uncles, but be ravished by the beauty of their Prince Jesus. This same Jesus who had time to sit them upon his lap, lay hands on them and bless them, to call them into their divine destinies for their names are already written in the palm of scar-pierced hands. - Still a child at heart, MJ

Wind, Waves, and Mountains

Standing at the base of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa brings humbling feelings. Truth be told, standing at the base of any formidable mountain range may produce the same effect- one simply feels small, perhaps even in significant in nature’s landscape, but not in God’s.

How does the Creator of the universe manage to keep His eyes on me and the small furry rodent with the lines and dashes across its tiny back? He watches it safely cross the path of pedestrians, steadily climbing the mountain path, and He watches my journey as well- one seemingly achingly slow step after ponderous step.

At the precipice of the mountain cliffs, God promises to hide me in the shelter of His wings. Despite the howling winds, and the fragile rock cleft, like Elijah, I am safe, and can rest there until I hear the next instruction of where to go. Even as I summit the mountain’s crest, He is there too waiting to reveal its grand and majestic panoramas and His ever constant word, “Be Still and know that I am God.”

I realized something yesterday, like a tourist so busy taking pictures, merely to show that she has been there, I too can be simply going through the motions of life without ever really being present, experiencing the here and now. So, I slow down, put the camera away, and just stand in the awesomeness of who God is  as revealed in nature . I allow my mind’s camera to open its shutter and take in the beauty that only the Supreme Artist can create and then take its beauty and lessons into my spirit. I will remember these pictures best even when I misplace the photos or they are destroyed. The wind seems to caress my souls  again with these words, be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted the earth and the heavens.

His care for me is as constant as the tide that comes into the beach, its roaring waves silenced as it reaches the shore. O’ that my soul would find its rest in God alone and be still its beating, and simply lie prostrate before His presence as the sea’s waters lap upon the soft sand of the beach.

The penguins clean and preen comfortable in their dark black and white suits. O' that my soul would take peace in the fact that I am clothed in the righteous of Christ alone and need do no more than preen to show His handy work, and clean off the debris that would destract from His glory and beauty.

Maybe the rocks strewn across this beach, the ugly masses of seaweed, and lumpy rubbery vines which resemble so much like nature’s debris after an upset stomach in the ocean are simply here to remind me not to turn Jonah. You know, come up with my own plan. Despite the rocks' bulk and placement, I can still walk upon the beach. Just as in life, obstacles do not have to stop me.

 

So many beautiful lessons in nature lie.
 
A Contemplative Today- MJ

Women's Issues Part III and Part IV

 

Part III- Sacrifice Whatever the Cost

Jesus moved past His fatigue, hunger, and emotional distress to treat women with respect. There was nothing chauvinist about His behavior. When He allowed the so-called immoral woman to wash His feet with her tears and hair, it was not sensual. It was a divine romance of a different sort, for out of brokenness, her restoration and healing flowed as she worshipped Him despite the palpable disapproval of old boys club. That is exactly what we must do, press into knowing Jesus, no matter the obstacle or public opinion. The woman who poured her life’s savings upon the Saviors feet did not lose it, for to this day the story is told of her extravagant worship. So, we too, as women when we pour life’s blood for the kingdom, it is not lost.

 

Jesus noticed the widow’s offering of two mites, the least offered, or it seemed so to those lacking spiritual eyes. But, Jesus looked at her heart and recognized the wealth that she had poured out in that offering. He too recognizes your sacrifice for His kingdom and He is grateful.

Even in the depths of pain and despair, Jesus focuses on women: this time, His mother. He makes sure that after His death that her care is assured. He passes on the responsibility of the eldest son to a devoted believer, John, since at that time none of his own brothers were His followers.

Part IV- Who are We?

Everywhere He went, He honored women, rather his mother or not. In fact, He says something so revolutionary that His own family thought Him mad: He asks who is  his mother, brother, or sister? His sensational answer: He who does the will of my father. With this one statement, He broke ages of sexism. We don’t need to wait for the Book of Galatians for Paul to say there is neither male, nor female, Jew or Greek. Jesus disposed of these categories and their burdens right then and there. And since, He is the very word of God- Emet. We can take Him as his Word.

Jesus had no problems with business women either. They financed his ministry, provided him with a safe place to stay, and fed him. Heck, even the First Church was financed by women such as Lydia.

We are the compassionate ones. We are the hopeful ones.  Mary Magdalene got to the tomb first and came ready to serve to boot. She was the one commissioned by the angel to go to the disciples, who were cowering in a deep dark cell somewhere, and tell them that Jesus had risen just as He promised. Jesus comforts her when she thinks that someone has stolen His body, and then, He personally commissions to share the gospel. Who received the honor of touching Jesus before His ascension? None but a woman. Who had the honor of bringing him into the world? None but a woman. “Man ain’t had nothing to do with Him,”  as Sojourner Truth famously quipped.

Jesus celebrates our life events. He makes time for marriages and funerals. He toasts L’Chaim to all special moments for He has written and orchestrated them for in advance. So, if you feel forgotten, ignored, disdained, rejected, or alone, Jesus knows how to love you truly in the midst of bereavement, sorrow, loneliness, and despair. Please give Him a try.


Unashamed to be a Woman,
Mella

 

 

 

 

Women's Issues Part I and Part II

Part I: The Heart of the Issue- Christ

Women’s issues were at the heart of Jesus’ ministry. He cared for the aged, the widow, the down-and-outer. He loved the prostitute, the divorcee, the sick and the chronically infirm. His love knew no bounds. So, before there were ever feminists, womanists, or any such nomenclature, Jesus loved women and at the heart of his ministry was a deep concern for women’s position and treatment in His society.

On one particular day, He raised from the dead the son of a widow. Knowing that she would have no one to support her financially, He broke Hallach ( law and tradition) and raised the boy from the dead. Then he went on to heal a woman who had a chronic bleeding problem. Having suffered for over twenty years from anemia, I understand her distress.  My anemia was so severe that it mandated surgery because my body was filled with tumors. So, I can only imagine the extent of her suffering.

After healing this woman, Jesus does not take a rest; He tends to a little girl, Jarius’ daughter. Age is no barrier for Him. He valued children, and not just boy children, as we often see happening in places like China and India. No, he rebuked his disciples, and made an incredible announcement when He told them that they must become like children or they would not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The plain fact of the matter is that Jesus was indignant of his disciples’ disrespect and devaluation of children. He told said that it would be better for an abuser to have not been born or have a milestone tied around his neck and thrown into the sea, than to hurt one of these little ones, and he did not specify gender. Their angels, He said, see God’s face in heaven.

Unlike people, Jesus was never in a hurry, too busy to look one in the eye and stop and chat. He dealt completely with the woman with the issue of blood before heading off to heal Jarius’ daughter. He made sure that all of her needs were met and satisfied.  Then and only then, after making sure she knew that she was both seen and heard, did He move on to touch another life- this time a girl child.

 Part II True Satisfaction of the Right Sort

Satisfaction is exactly what the woman was looking for at the well. She was thirsty and well she knew it. But, she didn’t know what would really satisfy. That is until she meet Jesus and He offered living springs of water, true worship, a new identity, and a calling as an evangelist. He restored her dignity, gave her purpose, and connected her in the most meaningful way back into her community all over a cup of water. Jesus truly is a mighty tall drink.

Women bound by addiction did not turn Jesus off. Whether they were mentally ill, sexually avarice, or tormented by demons, He touched them in all the right places for healing.

I know someone is already asking, “What about the Syro-Phoenician woman who Jesus compared to a dog?” I think Jesus wanted to teach his disciples a lesson, and He knew a persistent woman fighting on the behalf child would provide it. When the woman was undeterred, He grants her request and turned to the Jews to marvel at the faith of a Gentile when His own people did not believe.

Jesus strikes this cord again when He tells his disciples that should pray always and never give up. Who does He take as his example? A woman seeking justice for her child. Jesus trusts us to speak up on behalf of our children. He assigns us these roles. When he tells the parable of the man who goes to borrow bread from his friend, the man makes all types of excuse: his feet are dirty, his in bed with his kids, etc. Yawn. Yawn. If not for the beating on the door, the man would have soon as not responded to his friend. But not the women seeking justice for her child, even the fact that the judge feared neither God nor man could dissuade her from pleading her case and again.

We women have more in us than we give ourselves credit for possessing. Jesus knows us best because He is our creator.


Proudly a Woman,
MJ

Resurrection from the Dead

I never thought of myself as person who could or would do miracles, especially raising someone from the grave. But, that is exactly what I have been called to do. I wonder if even Y'Shua experienced a bit of angst when he was called to Jairus' home. There were a lot of people with some heavy expectations. The air was weighty with suspense. Could He? Would He even dare to raise this dead child of the synagogue leader?

Here is how the story  played out:  While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat (Mark 5:35-43).

Just like Y'Shua, I was in the middle of my day just living when a crisis of monumental proportions hit. Things were going well for me and Y'Shua. He had just came off the miraculous healing of a women with a bleeding issue for 14 years. In my case, I was the educator of the year and nominated for various awards, when bam, God says sell everything and start over. Leave your home and family all that you have known and builds schools for girls. When you hear this kind of pronouncement you want to make sure it is really God.

Y'Shua had not come for a show, so He simply put the people out of doors and began speaking to the child. Then He grabbed her hand and lifted her from death to life. 
He is asking me to do the same thing. No grand promotion or show, simply call the dead to life in  African girls -girls who have been traumatized beyond belief, abused by kin and foe, but somehow hoping to live again. They are waiting for someone to say, "Arise, walk."

After Y'Shua raises the little girl from the dead, He instructs her family to feed and take care of her. Today, someone mentioned the art of grafting a vine. The vines grow through the winter, but  for them to be fruitful,they must but cut off in order to be grafted to the new roots system that contains healthy nourishment.

Similarly, these girls for a while will leave their  homes and communities so that they can return with the life-given nutrients of a healthy environment. They will board at the school God is building It is my hope to return the girls to their homes where they can be appropriately be cared for  and nurtured.

Arising One Day at a Time,
MJ