V.I.P’S

No they are not Bank Managers, or Heads of Corporations. Nor are they cricket heroes nor tennis stars, socceroos or footballers

The Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear that, to Him, children are very important people. Often He took them on His knee, despite the discouragement of the disciples. It is difficult to imagine a disciple preventing the mothers from bringing their young to the Saviour. Wisely, Jesus rebuked them, and said to the VIP’s, ‘Come’ and they came with their mothers.

Our Lord used the illustration of the faith of a little child to arouse the need for a simple, trusting, childlike faith to those who always wanted intellectual reasons, or who doubted when He spoke. Often a child sets truth in perfect focus.

When one of our daughters was young, she aptly recited Psalm 23, commencing with the first verse, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd. That’s all I want.’ We may have smiled, but how true.

WE remember the young girl, possibly in early adolescence, who was taken captive from Israel when over-run by the Syrians. How sad that she was separated from parents and family. Yet she became part of God’s eternal, sovereign plan that the great General, Namaan, her mistress’ husband, be healed of his leprosy. He tried all means of medicinal healing, but to no avail. No doubt when the lass suggested he visit the prophet, Elisha, he was rather sceptical . but he must have thought, ‘ Well, I’ll give him a try.’

So Namaan travelled, complete with gold, silver and clothes, to buy off Elisha. But material goods meant nothing to Elisha, as Namaan discovered. When Elisha commanded him to wash in the muddy Jordan , rather than the clear waters of Abana and Pharpar, Namaan may have wondered why he listened to that young girl. But at the prophet’s command, Namaan obeyed, and at the seventh dipping in Jordan, he emerged healed.

God used a humble suggestion from a young VIP that the mighty general visit God’s prophet.

A teenage lad asked his parents for a spare Bible, as one of his classmates enquired about the Lord’s return. Craig gave him the Bible and explained the return of the Saviour.

I remember when we attended the Luis Pulau Crusade in Singapore, when 60,000 attended. With the main interpretation from English to Mandarin, there was also simultaneous version into 13 other languages, including Hokkien, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, Cantonese, Tagalog, Thai etc. The interpreters at the far end of the stadium sounded like a gigantic whisper.

In the Cantonese section, an aged Chinese lady, hard of hearing, sat beside her eight year old grandson. As he heard the Cantonese interpretation, he spoke loudly into his grandmother’s ear. She nodded as she followed the drift of the message. This occurred over several nights, as the boy faithfully conveyed the gospel messages of Luis Pulau to his aged grandmother.

Imagine the joy, the tears, the blessing , when on the last night, that dear old grandmother walked down to the roped- off Cantonese section of the stadium to indicate her desire to confess her sin, to repent, and receive Jesus Christ as her Saviour.

That young VIP brought joy to his grandmother, blessing to his Saviour, and a challenge to older people who hesitate to share God’s love to their friends.

Jesus said, ‘Unless you become as a little child, and show such faith, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.’

That is a profound positive. The gospel is understood in the faithful expression of a child who takes at face value that Jesus died in our place to make us his VIP’s - His children.

Read 1 John 3:1-3

If this has helped you do give Gwenda a call hgsteward@cobweb.com.au