Who Are Christ's 'Little Ones'?

For decades, I thought that his little ones were all the children of the world. Certainly Jesus loved children but what he said about the Kingdom of Heaven is really about believers.

Read the eighteenth chapter of Matthew carefully and you'll realize that the child he set in the midst of his disciples was an example of trusting faith. When the twelve asked who would be the greatest in the Kingdom, Christ spoke about those who believe in him implicitly. Matthew 18:5 (BBE) shows that these childlike believers are the ones he meant. "And whoever gives honour to one such little child in my name, gives honour to me:"

Now connect that with Acts 9:4 (BBE) when Jesus blinded Saul with his glory. "And he went down on the earth, and a voice said to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you attacking me so cruelly?'" Notice the personal pronoune?

When a believer is misled or attacked, Christ feels it. In fact, he considers us his siblings. Matthew 12:49 (and 50 BBE) shows this when his biological family came to see him. "And he put out his hand to his disciples and said, 'See, my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the pleasure of my Father in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.'"

Jesus also spoke of 'little ones' in Matthew 10:42 (BBE) after instructing his disciples. "And whoever gives to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he will not go without his reward."

Jesus also appears to say in Matthew 18:10 (BBE)that we believers have angels representing us in heaven. "Let it not seem to you that one of these little ones is of no value; for I say to you that in heaven their angels see at all times the face of my Father in heaven."

All this makes me feel glad whenever I hear of Christians being persecuted for their steadfast faith in Christ. They aren't ignored by our Lord but he feels every blow and jab they suffer.

On Thursday, I'll hopefully post about an unorthodox way of getting by giving. It isn't that "faith seed" nonsense either.

The Sincerity Error

Have you ever met people who chided you for condemning the errors of people's faiths because they're sincere about them? Since when does sincerity make anything right?

The Bible doesn't say either way, yet it appears that Cain was sincere in his offering to God. But, as Genesis 4:5 (KJV) states, "But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell."

We learn from this verse that God expects to receive offerings in the way he prescribes. No matter how sincerely a person does things for the Lord, their efforts won't be accepted by God unless they're done his way.

I'm sure that many first-century Pharisees were sincere believers in their religious rites. But Jesus warned his disciples in John 16:2 (KJV) that, "They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service."

Today, we have zealous Muslims who believe what the Qu'ran says regarding coercing unwilling infidels and killing apostates. Does their sincerity absolve them of the charge of assault or murder?

Furthermore, a zealous Pharisee named Saul thought he was doing God service by persecuting Christians. But in Acts 9:4 (KJV), we read how Jesus himself confronted him about his sincere beliefs. "And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?'"

I could provide many more examples but you get the point. I'll also tackle this subject in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Sincerity doesn't make anything right, as naive believers think. They need reality to mug them in a way that will show how mistaken they are.

In my next post, I'll deal with the notion that people are born basically good. That's as wrong as wrong can be.

Are You Ready for Persecution?

My previous posts must sound to some like I'm trying to dissuade people from becoming Christians. Warning people of the cost before following the Lord isn't de suasion but full disclosure of the risks and benefits of belonging to Christ.

The fact is that persecution is the lot of all who live righteously. All through the Bible, faithful followers of God have suffered for their stand. Instead of worshipping false gods or adding the God of heaven into a pantheon of deities, they steadfastly remained loyal to the one and only real God.

The first century was particularly known for persecution of Christians. Jesus warned his followers to remain faithful in spite of what others threatened. In Luke 12:11 and 12 (KJV)Christ promised,  "And when they bring you unto the synagogues,  and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what  thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say."
Whatever happens to us, Christ takes it personally. Look at what he did and said to Saul before he was converted. Acts 9:4 (KJV) reads, "And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?'" The man who was blind spiritually became physically blind for three days.

With the words of Christ, and many other marvellous promises from Scripture, we can endure whatever this wicked world throws at us. Even death isn't a loss but a free trip to our true home. Read Hebrews chapter eleven for more inspiring testimonies of faithful believers.

I hope to be writing a new book soon. It will have the same material as I have blogged here but in greater detail. Watch this space for updates.