<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><div>Mark 9;42<div><br></div><div><b>42. &nbsp;“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>This single saying of Jesus can not be too carefully considered.</div><div><br></div><div>The words, <i>“little ones” </i>is translated from the Greek word ‘mikron’, &nbsp;this is the origin of&nbsp;which we get&nbsp; the English word ‘micron,’ (a unit of length measuring one millionth of a meter). &nbsp;In the Greek New Testament&nbsp;<span>t</span><span>his&nbsp; word best refers and&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span>applies to</span><span>&nbsp;infants, suck</span><span>ling babies.</span></div><div><br></div><div>When Jesus says <i>“little ones </i><u>who believe in me”</u>, He is teaching us that tiny children, still nursing, are already able to receive and benefit from&nbsp;the gift of&nbsp;faith.</div><div><br></div><div>Faith is not our&nbsp;decision to believe in Jesus. &nbsp;Spiritually dead people cannot decide to believe, they are dead. &nbsp;<i>“And you <u>He</u>&nbsp;made alive, when you were dead through your&nbsp;trespasses and sins”</i></div><div>(Ephesians 2;1). <i>“But God, (who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses), <u>made us alive</u>&nbsp;together with Christ,&nbsp;by grace you have been saved. &nbsp;</i>(Ephesians 2;4&amp;5). We are not truly alive until we believe in Jesus. &nbsp;That is why Jesus said, <i>“Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”</i></div><div>(Luke 9;60)</div><div><br></div><div>Faith, (believing<span>&nbsp;in Christ Jesus), is God’s gift to us through the Wo</span><span>rd and the Spirit. (see, Romans 10;17)&nbsp; Faith is first a noun which is then used by us through&nbsp;the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us. &nbsp;It is <u>not</u>&nbsp;‘our faith’, as if we&nbsp;created it, it is God’s gift given into us. &nbsp;<i>“For by grace you have been saved through&nbsp;faith; and&nbsp;<u>this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God,—</u>&nbsp; not the result of works, less any man should boast.” &nbsp; &nbsp;</i></span><span>(Ephesians 2;8&amp;9)</span></div><div><span><i></i></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>God who can do anything, can give this gift of faith into the heart of an infant child. &nbsp;He does not need our help to put that gift into us. &nbsp;This is why babies can and should be baptized. &nbsp;The Word and Spirit are giving real, saving faith into the child. &nbsp;Faith is not the result of us ‘deciding to believe in Jesus’.</span></div><div><span>Faith is the gift of God given into our hearts through which and by which we believe. &nbsp;<i>“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” &nbsp;</i>(Hebrews 11;1) &nbsp; Even a little baby can have the true peace of God within their&nbsp;own&nbsp;heart, as&nbsp;the living Word dwells in them. &nbsp;This life giving living Word can come into an infant whenever and wherever God’s Word is being proclaimed.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>The Word of God does not need the&nbsp;human&nbsp;brain</span>&nbsp;and <span>its</span>&nbsp;power to&nbsp;understanding in order<span>&nbsp;to give the gift of faith. &nbsp;It goes directly into the heart and soul and spirit of the baby all on its’ own. &nbsp;This is the great grace of God! &nbsp;He alone&nbsp;gives faith into our hearts as His own&nbsp;loving gift into us. &nbsp;We can reject faith, but we cannot create faith, only God can do that.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Just as an injection works in the body of an infant without their understanding anything about diseases or immunities,&nbsp;God is certainly more powerful than a shot from the doctor. &nbsp;He on His own,&nbsp; is able to make the spiritually dead come to life. &nbsp;(see, Ezekiel 37;1-14)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Therefore, Jesus can say in our text today, <i>“these&nbsp;</i><i>little ones </i>(microns)&nbsp;<i>who&nbsp;</i><i>believe in Me.”</i></span></div><div><span><i><br></i></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, thank You for the power of your Word and Spirit. &nbsp;Bless us to ever rejoice in the gift of faith You by Your Word and Spirit have worked in us. &nbsp;Bless us to be dedicated to proclaiming the Life given Word to little children, beginning in our own homes and families. &nbsp;In a Jesus we pray, Amen.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word I’d our habitation, and we are His.”</span></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>

Mark 9;42
42.  “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
This single saying of Jesus can not be too carefully considered.
The words, “little ones” is translated from the Greek word ‘mikron’,  this is the origin of which we get  the English word ‘micron,’ (a unit of length measuring one millionth of a meter).  In the Greek New Testament this  word best refers and  applies to infants, suckling babies.
When Jesus says “little ones who believe in me”, He is teaching us that tiny children, still nursing, are already able to receive and benefit from the gift of faith.
Faith is not our decision to believe in Jesus.  Spiritually dead people cannot decide to believe, they are dead.  “And you He made alive, when you were dead through your trespasses and sins”(Ephesians 2;1). “But God, (who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses), made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved.  (Ephesians 2;4&5). We are not truly alive until we believe in Jesus.  That is why Jesus said, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”(Luke 9;60)
Faith, (believing in Christ Jesus), is God’s gift to us through the Word and the Spirit. (see, Romans 10;17)  Faith is first a noun which is then used by us through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.  It is not ‘our faith’, as if we created it, it is God’s gift given into us.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God,—  not the result of works, less any man should boast.”    (Ephesians 2;8&9)
God who can do anything, can give this gift of faith into the heart of an infant child.  He does not need our help to put that gift into us.  This is why babies can and should be baptized.  The Word and Spirit are giving real, saving faith into the child.  Faith is not the result of us ‘deciding to believe in Jesus’.Faith is the gift of God given into our hearts through which and by which we believe.  “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  (Hebrews 11;1)   Even a little baby can have the true peace of God within their own heart, as the living Word dwells in them.  This life giving living Word can come into an infant whenever and wherever God’s Word is being proclaimed.
The Word of God does not need the human brain and its power to understanding in order to give the gift of faith.  It goes directly into the heart and soul and spirit of the baby all on its’ own.  This is the great grace of God!  He alone gives faith into our hearts as His own loving gift into us.  We can reject faith, but we cannot create faith, only God can do that.
Just as an injection works in the body of an infant without their understanding anything about diseases or immunities, God is certainly more powerful than a shot from the doctor.  He on His own,  is able to make the spiritually dead come to life.  (see, Ezekiel 37;1-14)
Therefore, Jesus can say in our text today, “these little ones (microns) who believe in Me.”
Prayer:  Merciful Father, thank You for the power of your Word and Spirit.  Bless us to ever rejoice in the gift of faith You by Your Word and Spirit have worked in us.  Bless us to be dedicated to proclaiming the Life given Word to little children, beginning in our own homes and families.  In a Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word I’d our habitation, and we are His.”

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