“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
In hearing the words of Jesus you hear Me and in seeing the works of Jesus you see Me in action. He likened you to sheep and Himself as the Shepherd, an image I have given you of your God as far back as Jacob and fulfilled in Jesus. He likened you to branches attached to Him as the vine receiving divine life and power through Him to be fruitful with the beautiful fruit of the Spirit, which is My own divine nature and characteristics. This is the fulfillment of My blessing to be fruitful given to every one of you at the beginning when I conceived you all in My heart, and the story is told in the golden Menorah with its six branches (the number of man) attached to the center shaft (the servant lamp, which is the seventh lamp, the number of rest and Jesus is your Shabbat rest) shining as lights in the world. But there was only one analogy that He told you that you must become likened to in order to even enter the Kingdom of Heaven and that is to be like little children of a loving, good Father.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.” Matthew 18:1-4.
In fact, He told you that was what made you the greatest in My Kingdom. Why?
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:3-8.
He explained it at the death of John the Baptist.
“I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John, yet even the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Luke 7:28.
Even John was not admitted into My Kingdom until Jesus died and I raised Him from the dead. You had to be born again from above to be My child and admitted to the great Kingdom of Heaven where the whole family is called by My Name. And come John did when he was born again when Jesus stopped off in Paradise on His way up from hell after three days and three nights. I raised you all who believe in Him as Lord with Him from the beginning to the end of time.
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12-13.
You must be in a close family relationship of fellowship with Me to enter My house forever, the slave has no permanent place but the son is established there forever.
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34-36.
And you are in Him, clothed in Him and joint heirs with Him.
But why little children? Little children, and I mean those who are very young, have no “issues.” If you have been around adults long enough, you know what I am talking about, and in fact that could be you. “Issues” with yourself, Me and others get in the way of our fellowship and lead you in dark paths of confusion, hate, despair, doubt, fear, jealousy, resentment, and doctrines of demons.
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23.
Children are wide open and can look you in the eye. In fact infants in their mother’s arms are looking around seeking to catch people’s eyes because that is where they join in the life that is inside that person.
And little children enjoy things they see in the world with excitement, enthusiasm, and wonder. Later, as they become pressured with schoolwork and various other competitive activities they are not that same fresh way, they don’t look at other children as the little child does. The little child in a line at the bank or grocery store is soon playing with the other children there no matter what race, color, clothes, or language.
Little children are not regretting the past, because they really don’t have one that they even remember, and they look forward to the future and growing up. They do not fear lack. The parent supplies all. They dream about what great things they will do. They have no “axes to grind,” that is, things from the past or present that they are bitter about and dwelling upon so that they do not see the wonders in the word, such as a fountain, a rainbow, a flower, or a bug. They have no hidden agendas, no strange philosophies about life, and no permanent upset or anger. Tears and anger pass as quickly as the clouds overhead. They are not keeping a record of wrongs as they do when more is in their rear view mirror and they stop dreaming of the good things to come.
And that is why I say that anyone who misleads one of the little ones who still have eyes for Me and Heaven astray that it is better for that person to be at the bottom of the sea with a millstone around his neck than where he or she is because they will face Me and My holy angels as the judge of such things.
Why does the freshness of first love leave? Because you have not kept the grateful wonder of your very existence and you have not fallen in love with Love. You don’t know Me. You have taken your focus off Me to yourself. You have not been letting yourself partake and taste of My goodness. You have not enlarged the place of your tent but shriveled up inward, filled with the issues of life.
There was a woman crawling along the ground made weak by over 12 years of issues. She had spent all her livelihood on trying to fix her issues and she had not been able to do so. And she was on one side of Jesus and on the other side was a 12 year old child sick and dying with issues that had come upon her and her family that they had no idea how to stand up against and guard themselves from. Both were dying, but by the touch of My Word and My Spirit, new life, fresh life touched them and they both were quickened in their mortal bodies and became whole, free from issues. “Go into peace, your faith has saved you.”
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11.
You no longer have to crawl along the ground looking for Jesus in the crowd. You no longer have to go and plead with Him to come to your house and lay His hand on your daughter or even yourself. He has released you from your sins with His blood and poured the same wonderful Holy Spirit that dwelt in His humanity, present so He could heal, Luke 5:17, and power to heal poured out of Him, in you to quicken your mortal body and transform you to your glorious heavenly body on the Last Day.
And what does My Spirit do in you? He fills you up with a fountain bubbling up in the wellspring of your heart, leaping up to eternal life. John 4:13. He puts the right flow, the flow of Heaven, pouring down from the throne of grace as a river in your heart that overflows out of you to the thirsty world. He gives you the true issues of life that are eternal and set you free in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit! And that is the spirit of the little child calling out “Abba! Father!”
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:14-17.
Paul knew how to become as a little child and the older he got the more little he became. Remember a child knows he is dependent on the parent for everything pertaining to life but that does not bother him, it gives him no issues, he asks and receives, seeks and finds, knocks and enters, not helter-skelter but all is found in his father’s lap and it is all tied up in love. He knows all the father has is his.
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14.
Paul was as open to Me as a little child. He had no issues with Me or anyone. He just wanted everyone to be included in the loving arms of his Father who had given him new life in Jesus Christ. How about you?
I love you. I took care of all your “issues” in Jesus and flowed into you the true issues of life, leaping up to eternal life.
“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation (Yeshuah).” Isaiah 12:2-3.