Christian Maturity

Week 38

Wherever you are in your Christian walk, there is always another level to attain. As I was meditating on scripture in Exodus one day, the Lord revealed something to me that I had never thought about before. God told the Israelites what to expect as they entered the promised land he was giving them. He was not going to give them the entire land at once, but he told them, “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.” Exodus 23:27-30

That is exactly what God does for us once we become disciples of Christ. As new believers in Christ, we are almost always supernaturally protected from the evil one when we first become believers. Many people have received physical healing, emotional healing and have experienced deliverance from some of their worst demons, such as alcoholism, addictions, bitterness, sorrow. 

But this initial hedge of protection, doesn’t last throughout our walk with Christ. God knows that we need to see miracles and signs and wonders when we first give him our heart. And he knows that our faith needs to grow. 1 Peter 2:2 says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 

Basics, that is what we need when we first come to the Lord, we need to be fed the Word of God on a continual basis. He doesn’t expect us to know and understand the entire Bible right away, but little by little our faith grows.

As we mature in our faith walk, we are able to understand more and more of God’s word and the work that he has planned for us. When I was at this point in my journey with the Lord, it seemed that I had so much energy and just wanted to share my faith and do things for him because of my love for him. 

If we compare this time in our lives with adolescence it is easy to understand the joy, the vitality, the exuberance that we experience. We can almost run ahead of God at this time, because we think we know it all. Sound like a teenager? Yes, we have all gone through that phase. God knows that we are like that, he made us after all. 

During the maturing years he may have to discipline us over and over for the same mistakes. Scripture tells us to expect this discipline. Hebrews 12: 11, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

When we finally mature enough in our faith, we begin to listen to God’s voice. Jesus said that he was the good shepherd and that his sheep knew his voice. It doesn’t happen overnight, it is a process. The more we hear and obey, the more we hear and obey. And on and on. 

It is at this point in our journey that people in the world have false ideas about Christians. Many think that we are trying to earn our salvation by doing good works. However, the true disciple knows why they are doing good works. James stated it quite well in chapter two, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” And again he said, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

This stage of maturity brings forth fruit. All of the teachings and the years of obedience, failing, listening and reading God’s word are beginning to reap that harvest of righteousness.

As we become more Christlike and we become the people that God created us to be, the world is impacted by our deeds. Instead of letting the world rule us, we begin to rule the world. We are able to take control of more of the land that God has given us. The enemies that used to stand in our way now have become powerless. Not because they are any weaker, but because our faith is stronger. We now have some longevity with the Lord, we have seen his power displayed over and over again. We have experienced his saving grace, his miracles, his love and mercy and we know that the one we serve is greater than the one who rules the world. We have nearly taken all the land that God has given us to possess at this point in our walk. But there is still work to be done.

We never reach the end of learning about God, but we do reach a point when we need to share with others the wisdom, the experience, the knowledge that we have gathered during our journey. 

In Deuteronomy six, we read that God warns his people not to forget all that he did for them to bring them into the land of milk and honey. We don’t reach this point of maturity unless the Lord brings us here. We did not get so smart on our own. God’s Holy Spirit taught us everything we know about him. Our faith has been a process and we need to remember that when we see others in our church who are on the road to the promised land, but have not quite reached the point that we are at.

How can we encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ? What can we do to lift them up and help them along the path that we traveled? Can we direct them? Can we comfort them? 

God expects us to help one another on this journey through life. We are all at different places on the pathway. No matter where you might be at this point in time, be encouraged that others have been where you are and have grown in their faith. Others around you want to help you and not condemn you. It’s okay to ask questions and to seek Godly counsel. Ask God’s spirit to direct your path.

Father God, 

We come to you today at different places in our faith walk and we know that you understand each one of us. You know just what it will take to bring us into a deeper relationship with you and into the promised land. We want to be the people you created us to be, we want to be obedient and do good deeds. We want to become righteous and more Christlike in all that we do. We know that this will be a process and we thank you for the patience you have with us during this process. May we glorify you and grow in grace and knowledge of you daily. Because of Christ. Amen 

Go Boldly before the Throne

Week 37

When we come into the presence of God with our prayers, how do we approach the Sovereign ruler of the universe? What should our posture be? What kind of prayers are pleasing to God and what type of prayers does he ignore? Does he ignore some of our prayers? 

Entering the presence of the most high God should never been taken lightly. The word of God tells us that we should have a reverential fear of God. He is, after all, the one who gives us life and he can also take it away. 

We must realize that the only way we can enter into the presence of God is through Jesus. Jesus said he is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) Visualize Jesus waiting outside the throne room for you, as you approach him he walks you to the door, opens it and walks up to the throne with you. Then he stands beside you while you petition the God of heaven and earth. He interprets your prayers to the Father. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Once we get inside the throne room, we need to take on an attitude of humbleness. When we think about approaching the God of the universe, the one who created us and the one who saved us from eternal destruction, we should let him know that we respect him and revere him. We should spend some time in adoration of him, bowing before him. Telling him that we love him and giving him praise that is due him. What an honor and a privilege that we can come to him. Let him know what your relationship with him means to you. Just worship him in whatever way you feel led to. 

Sometimes when I come into God’s presence I want to thank him for who he is and what he has done. Sometimes I want to sing praises to him. Sometimes I just want to bend my knees and bow before him. I have even felt led to get flat on my face before him. The Spirit of God will lead you to the stance that is appropriate for the day and the place. The Spirit will also let you know when you may begin your petitions. 

There have been times when someone is very heavy on my heart and I only have one petition. I may elaborate with God explaining what I would like him to do for this person, bring healing, salvation, peace, comfort. Sometimes I have a list of people with needs and I just say their names knowing that God knows them better than I do and will meet them at their point of need. 

When we are in the presence of God, we know that Christ Jesus is right there beside us and that the Holy Spirit of God is within us and often in the midst of such righteousness, we are convicted of a sin in our life that we need to confess and ask for forgiveness. 

This can be a time of great sorrow and we may want to weep when we think how we have hurt someone or how disappointed God must be in us for failing again. But this can also be a time of deep cleansing. After we confess, repent and turn from our sin we may be urged to call someone and apologize, or write someone a note. God may expect us to do something, but he may just want us to regret the sin, ask for forgiveness and put it behind us. Whatever he asks you do, do it with a willing spirit knowing that he loves you and forgives you. God only wants what is best for us.

Many times after being convicted of sin and repenting, I sense a move within my spirit that God wants me to pray for someone or some situation in a particular way. It is these times of prayer that are the most personal and the most awesome. The boldness with which I pray overwhelms me. 

God will occasionally give me visions of someone to pray for. He will often give me very specific things to ask for. When I offer these prayers to God it is almost like they have been answered already. It is, in a sense, like calling those things that are not as though they were.

In 1 John 5:14-15 we hear John say, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.”

There may be times when you are in his presence and God may just want to love you. He may ask you to read a portion of scripture that will encourage you or be an answer to one of the petitions you have lifted to him. The important thing to remember when you are in the presence of God is to linger there for a time. Just be still and let him speak to you.

We have a tendency to tell God what we want to tell him and then get on with the chores of the day. Our time with him can become one more thing to do and one more thing that we can check off our list of daily chores. He doesn’t want our leftovers, he doesn’t want to be an afterthought. He wants to come first in our lives. He expects us to give him our best. He gave his only son for us, why would he deserve less from us?

As your time before the throne ends, it is good to let God know how wonderful your time together has been. Thank him for listening to your prayers, thank him for answering in his own time and his own way. Thank him for the blessings that you have. Let him know that you think he is a good God. Let God know what your time with him has meant to you.

Father God, You are the one true God the one who made all things. I give you praise and I worship you because you are my creator. You are the one who made a way for us to inherit eternal life and that is one of the best gifts you could give us. Thank you for the opportunity that you have given us to come into your presence. We realize that when we come to you we are standing on Holy Ground. Whenever we come to you Lord, we ask that you remind us of any sin in our lives, we also ask that you hear our requests for those your Spirit has put in our hearts. We thank you for listening to us and ask that only your will be done. Disregard those requests that are not in accordance with your will, in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen

Fiber Optic Christians

Week 36

As I looked at our Christmas tree one year, God spoke to my heart and showed me an image of Christ as the source of all light and disciples of Christ as the fibers shining the light of Christ into the world. What a simple way to explain a complex and detailed work. 

In Genesis we read God’s first spoken words, “Let there be light.” And there was light. In John we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1:1-5. If we read a little farther we see that John the baptist came to witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

It arrived in the form of a baby, born of a virgin, a baby whose name was Jesus. Which brings us back to the Christmas tree. Everyone gets so upset because people try to outdo one another with Christmas lights and I must admit that some people really do go overboard. However, as I looked at the lights this year, I was once again reminded of the reason we celebrate Christmas. Jesus, the light of the world, came into the world on a holy night. It seems fitting that we announce to the world with bright lights that Jesus has been born.

The funny thing is that many of the people who decorate their homes with lights may not even know the reason for the celebration. They are celebrating a season of giving, or a time of happiness and gift giving not really knowing what has prompted the celebration.

As Christians, it is up to us to show the light of Christ to this dark world. But how can we show it unless we know something about the characteristics of this light? What does the light of Jesus look like? 

We know that this light came from God, he is the one who spoke it into existence. In order to have a relationship with God, we have to come into his light. We have to embrace the light that shines from him. But caution is urged in running toward the light because scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. How then can we know if we are in the light of Christ? What red flags are we looking for and what exactly are we to be aware of?

One of the first things that I thought about when I realized that Satan masquerades as an angel of light was “televangelists.” You know those guys on the Christian networks who make their living from the goodwill offerings that people send to their ministries. They offer prosperity and blessings if you support them, they receive glory for the healings they perform. There are many who try to persuade us that they have an inside track to God. 

Paul told the believers in Corinth, “For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other then the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted...” your minds may somehow be led astray.(2 Corinthians 11:4) A very wise woman once told me, “If someone tries to tell you that they know more about Christ than what the Bible teaches. Or if they have another book for you to read or a new revelation other than what the Bible says, run away from them as fast as you can.” They are masquerading as angels of light and only want to lead you astray."

So how do we know what Jesus’ light looks like? We read about him in the Bible and see the things he did. It seems that everywhere Jesus went he spread love, he healed, he shared the love of God and people were encouraged and blessed. Basically, he produced good fruit. 

What kind of fruit are you producing? Are people blessed when you walk into a room, do they want to spend time with you? Are you speaking encouraging words over those around you or are you negative and full of despair? To be a reflection of the light of Jesus, we have to reflect the qualities he had.

What happens when we reflect these qualities? Is anything changed? Sometimes we don’t see the changes that we make in others lives when we shine on them. But sometimes God lets us witness the growth and see the transforming power of his love. 

My husband is an example. When we got married, he was a marginal believer. His family life did not have a foundation of a belief in Christ Jesus, his parents never attended church. I was raised in a family of believers, we prayed before we ate, we attended church every week, my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were devout Christians who passed on their faith. As the years passed and the light of Christ was shone on him year after year, the day came when he made a commitment to Christ and began to have a personal relationship with him. I have seen the transformation with my own eyes. 

The key to transformation is to just keep shining. No matter what your circumstances, no matter what life gives you, no matter how you feel or where you are - Jesus is still your source of power and his light never stops shining.

Father,

You are so awesome and so amazing, we give you praise and we thank you for the example we have in Christ Jesus. We want to stay close to him and we want his love to shine through us everyday, everywhere. Protect us from the evil one who would like to deceive us and lead us astray. May we only show your light and your love. In Jesus name. Amen.

Made in God’s Image

Week 35

In Genesis1:27 we read that God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. What does it mean to be made in the image of God? Do we look like him? I believe that to a certain extent we do. When he took on the form of a man as Jesus the Christ and came to earth, he didn’t look any different than anyone else. And his word tells us that Jesus was the exact replica of God. But I also believe that the image of God is more than just physical appearance. 

An image is a likeness, when you look into a mirror you see an image of yourself, but it is not truly you. It is a reflection of you but it does not have dimension. If you were to touch the image in the mirror you wouldn’t really know what skin felt like. You can’t tell by looking at your image if you smell good or bad. There is no way of knowing how smart you are or what your voice sounds like and yet, it is you.

We are made in God’s image. If we are born again believers, we are a reflection of God, but we are not exactly like him. The word tells us that God is Spirit. 

As believers, we have God’s Spirit living in us. His spirit is the part of us that is most like God. From the beginning of time, God wanted to dwell with man. He wanted to communicate with us and be a normal part of our daily lives. In the garden of Eden he walked with Adam and Eve. I believe that they were able to see him because their spiritual eyes were pure. There was no fear in them. 

But sin has caused a separation and a spiritual blindness that keeps us from seeing God as he truly is. Our human makeup is limited in our ability to see him as he is. And yet, his spirit that lives within us is able to keep us intune with him. Through his spirit we are able to hear his voice and understand what he wants us to do. That spiritual connection is the best way that God could bridge the gap and make contact with us. It would not have been possible if Jesus had not died for our sins, been resurrected and rose from the dead. Somehow that sequence of events made it possible for the Holy Spirit to indwell mankind.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 says, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

As human beings we process data through our senses, sight, hearing, tasting, touching and smelling. These are all processed through our brains. We try to process God in the same way, but it is impossible. It is like processing what we are like by looking at the image in the mirror and describing someone from that viewpoint. We have to have the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit to be able to understand who God is. Even then we are limited in these earthly bodies. 

When God’s Holy Spirit is invited to take up residence within us and we start being led by the spirit, we develop a hunger to know more and more of God and the things of this world dim in comparison to the things of the Spirit realm. This is one of the reasons why is it so difficult to tell non-believers what we are experiencing in our spirits. It is foolishness to them. 

How do we make sense of this mystery? Paul tried to help us when he wrote to the believers in Colosse. He told them that the mystery that had been kept hidden for ages and generations is now disclosed to the saints. To those God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-28)

Christ in us, the hope of glory. We have the mind of Christ according to scripture. As believers who have the mind of Christ and in whom the Holy Spirit has taken up residence, how do we live out our lives? What exactly is expected of us with this awesome God living in us?

Jesus tells us in Acts 1:7-8 He said to them, (that means us) “It is not for you to know the times or the dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

That is the purpose of God’s spirit living in us, to witness to the world about Christ in us. We are to make disciples for Jesus throughout the world. Wherever we go, we are spreading the gospel message.

It is not us however that spreads this message, but the Spirit of God within us that does the work. We are merely vessels used to carry God’s spirit throughout the earth.

The way that God spreads his message is as varied as we are. The Holy Spirit gives each believer a gift with which to spread the message of salvation. Those gifts are empowered by the spirit of God in us and proclaimed spiritually to those around us. This is a mystery to us as well. 

Can you remember how you came to a realization of all that Christ did for you? I remember the day that I knew for sure that I would dedicate the rest of my life to Christ, but it wasn’t one big event that happened to me. It was a culmination of events, a lifetime of seeds being planted within my spirit and one day, it took root and began to grow. I knew on that day that the growth was going to be ongoing and I knew that if I stayed on my knees thanking God the rest of my life, it wouldn’t be long enough to truly thank him for what he did for me.

The closer walk we have with the Holy Spirit within us, the more we listen to his leading, the nearer we are to God himself and the more we resemble him. The goal of every Christian should be to be so attune to the Holy Spirit that we never do anything without first consulting God. Jesus was like that. The only time he was ever out of communication with God was the day that he hung on the cross and the sins of the world were upon him. Remember his words? My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 

The more time we spend with God in the spirit realm, the more we will miss him when we are not with him. That was his desire for us all along.

Holy God,

We know that as long as we have mortal bodies we can never fully see you because you are Spirit. But we want to become more attentive to your voice and we want your Holy Spirit to be the voice we hear all day long. Show us how to walk in your spirit and be receptive to you. We know that you want a relationship with us and that is the same thing we want. We desire to know you better Father. We want to know you as Christ knew you and we want to be unsettled in our spirits when we are out of sync with you. Draw us nearer every day. In the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit we pray. Amen.