R U WEARY, HEAVY LADEN? Matthew 11:25-30 (King James Version) EVEN YOUNG CHLDREN CAN UNDERSTAND 25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. There is a chorus which has the line, ”Jesus loves the little children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in his sight.” It is a truth that children of every nation are capable of loving Jesus, and it is often through this door that whole families learn of His love for them. Adults have learned to love the world and what it offers, often their own loss in Spiritual blessings, but the child is often receptive. Before I was even ten years old, I knew that Jesus is God’s Son, and that he came to lay down his own life that I might have life eternally with him. I did not question this. I knew that he said to everyone, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:15-16). I understood, and I obeyed. It was because of that instruction that our family chose to go to the land that is now called Namibia. There we started with the children. It was adults who sent a teacher to volunteer to interpret for us, (He was actually a police spy.) He reported back that we were only teaching the Bible, so a different approach was taken. All the children attended a mission school, so they put the spy nearby to see which children were coming to us and then beat them and told them they would be refused as scholars if they did not stop. Since there was no other school for them, their parents stopped them. Just as they were beginning to respond, they were forced to stop, so we accepted the invitation to move to South Africa where I could teach in the Minister training school, and give my attention to the Bible Correspondence lessons and through that to printing and publishing Christian literature. This immediately reached many thousands in the Boarding Schools of all Africa! There they were welcomed as well as by the inmates of the prisons. God had led us to an open door, when the first was slammed in our faces. (Luke 10:21- 22, Luke 22:42, Luke 23:34, John 11:41, John 12:27-28, Psalm 8:2, 1 Corinthians 1:26ff) 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. (Luke 22:42, Luke 23:34, John 11:41, John 12:27-28) 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man but the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. The Lord has revealed Himself to us through the Son, and takes up the burden and makes it a blessing instead. (Matthew 28:18, John 3:25, John 13:3, John 17:12, John 7:29, John 10:15, John17:25) 28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. God does not expect us all to do exactly the same thing in the same way. “Rest” may be sent in the distribution of the labor. Until I was ten, we lived on a small farm in Southern, Illinois. We made do with what we had. We had a “team” of horses. They were totally miss-matched. One was a stocky, large draft horse, and the other was much lighter and slender in build. She was fine for riding, but not in her element hitched to a plow, I remember that my father “balanced” them up by moving the double tree connection so that the large horse had a much greater part of the burden. He, who made us, adjusts what He expects of us. I would never have become a printer and publisher had we stayed in Namibia. A South African, who knows the language, is there now. Because I did, and sent many Bible studies to Africa wide, others went to West Africa to follow up in person. That is how God works. Now there is a Christian University in Ghana, from that introduction years ago. (Jeremiah 31:25, John 7:37) 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. So many times, we insist upon doing things the way they have always been done, more likely the way we always did them, instead of asking the Lord for His help, and the going and doing that he prepared us to do. He, who made us, knows why He made us as we are, and knows just how He wants to use us. (John 13:15, Ephesians 4:20, Philippians 2:5, 1 Peter 2:21, 1 John 2:6, Jeremiah 6:16) 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (1 John 5:3) If we let Him lead, the burden won’t be more than we can bear. It will be a joy. __________ READ THE BIBLE THROUGH AGAIN IN 2013 JANUARY 20th Sunday - Genesis 41, Matthew :14:1-21, Proverbs 2:12-22 21st Monday - Genesis 42, 43, Matthew 14:22-36, Psalm 12 22nd Tuesday - Genesis 44, 45, Matthew 15:1-20, Psalm 13 23rd Wednesday - Genesis 46, 47, Matthew 15:21-39, Psalm 14 24th. Thursday - Genesis 48, 49, 50, Matthew 16, Proverbs 3:1-10 25th. Friday - Job 1, 2, 3, Matthew 17, Psalm 15 26th Saturday - Job 4, 5, 6, Matthew 18, Psalm 16:1-6 ____________ OUR CHRISTIAN BLOG LINKS http://ebooksbybob.blogspot.com These can be read on your own computer monitor. http://searchingthescriptureswithbob.blogspot.com Our weekly Bible Letter http://47yearsinafrica.blogspot.com Biographical, with photos http://whatdoesgodsayaboutthis.blogspot.com Questions and discussions http://scripturegems.blogspot.com Favorite Scripture Quotation http://salvationtracts.blogspot.com Representing 70 world languages http://searchthescriptureswithbob.blogspot.com Short Bible studies http://bookletbiblestudies.blogspot.com Several pages in length http://phyllistheauthor.blogspot.com Portions of Phyllis’ 3 published books & more to come ____________ THIS WEEK'S MEMORY TEXT “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned..” - Matthew 12:36-37 __________ SEND FREE CHRISTIAN EMAIL GREETINGS FROM: ecards@dayspring.com 3-movies@dayspring.com AVOIDING THE QUESTION A Conversation recently overheard.: “What do you believe about God?” “I believe what my church believes and teaches.” “And what does your church believe and teach?” “My church believes and teaches what I believe.” “What do you and your church believe?” “Oh, we believe exactly the same thing.” Prayer: Lord, I believe in the fruit of the Holy Spirit, but please tell me: What should I do with those two lemons?