Marks of Maturity – Part 1

Most of us want to mature as Christians. I would venture to guess that the vast majority of believers do not want to stay immature and “baby-ish” in their walk with the Lord. And clearly the scripture gives us instruction about growing up in Christ. Paul, James and Peter exhort us over and over to be mature in our walk with Jesus.

So, here’s the question: What are the indicators of maturity in my walk with Christ? How do I know that I’ve grown? There has to be some measurable results which will tell me that I have progressed in the things of God. Over the next few weeks, we are going to be covering things that I like to call “marks” of maturity in the believer’s life. The New Testament has a lot to say on the subject, so let’s dive in…

The first concept that I would like for us to get into is perhaps one of the most important things that we can learn as Christians. Yet it is one that is either ignored or poorly taught on a wide scale in the Church world today. That is, being led by the Spirit of God. Of all the marks of maturity in our lives as Christians, this issue must have a high priority. As believers, we MUST be able to hear from God and allow what we hear to be the thing which guides and directs our decisions and lifestyles. In this is true maturity. Often times we place emphasis on things which are carnal as indicators of our walk with God. For example, we say things like “I haven’t missed a Sunday service in two years. My walk with God must be on point.” Yet when the scripture deals with our maturity in God, it always addresses internal things. Things like our love walk, or our ability to control anger and our sensitivity to God’s Spirit. Funny, how it never deals with our church attendance, or even (as ministers) our ability to preach a good sermon, or how many people we got saved last month. The scriptures indicate that internal aspects of our life are the things that are the most important. The book of Romans illustrates this for us perfectly.

Romans 8:14 states: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”

Now there are two things to notice here. The first is the word “led” and the second is the word “son.” Both are critical to defining the meaning of this scripture and to understanding our discussion regarding maturity. The word “led” means: “To lead, by accompanying into a place; To conduct or bring.” So firstly we need to see that it’s God’s desire to lead us into His will and purpose for our lives through the working of the Holy Spirit. That means that the Holy Spirit can and will take you deeper into God’s heart if you’re willing to follow. The scripture says in 1 Corinthians 2 that “…The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God…” So The Holy Spirit is always exploring the depths of God’s will and if we’re willing to follow Him, He’ll take us with Him on that journey. He’ll literally lead us into the will of God.

There are so many practical applications in our lives when it comes to being led. For example, it’s possible for us to have a working knowledge of God’s will regarding our future and then make choices based on that knowledge. If you’re sensitive to God’s Spirit and to His leading, than He can give you insight about the future, He can tell you where to be or where not to be. So often, we blame the devil for causing things to go wrong in our lives, when in reality a simple obedience to a word from the Lord would have spared us the trouble. God’s heart is always good and loving. He wants to lead us into His plan for us which is perfect. It’s ALWAYS up to us whether or not we follow.

Secondly, the scripture uses the word “son.” Now this is an interesting Greek word, because it is not the same as the word in the scripture which describes us as God’s children. This word for “son” is not trying to tell us that we’re God’s kids. In fact, Paul already assumes that we know that we’re God’s offspring, so he uses this word “son” instead of “child.” The reason that this word is so awesome is because it denotes maturity. Everywhere else in scripture where you see the word “child” or “children” the Bible is reminding us that we’re God’s kids. We’re His offspring, we’re in His family. But this word “son” is special because it indicates maturity. And as we all know, not every Christian is mature.

You see, the minute we get saved, we become God’s “child.” But unfortunately, not everyone grows from a child to a mature “son.” Think of it in natural terms for a moment. When you’re a baby, everything is done for you. Mommy and Daddy have to feed you, and clothe you. They have to bathe you and help you learn to walk. But as you grow, the responsibility of life begins to shift from your parents over onto you. When you’re 35 years old, no one is changing your diaper anymore (hopefully). You now have the authority and ability to be trusted with things in your life. Like the ability to drive a car or own a home. But these were things that you never could do as a child. Right?

It’s the same in the Kingdom of God. We must develop and grow in the things of God and move beyond spiritual babyhood into maturity as a “son” of God. And one of the first ways in which we do that is by learning to be led by God’s Spirit. The way that we know that we’re mature is when we can follow God into uncharted waters based on what He has spoken to us, with no fear or concern for our surroundings. This is a mark of maturity. Sonship, not babyhood. Being one of God’s sons enables you to be entrusted with heavenly wisdom and foreknowledge of things to come. Babies always live in the moment, but sons always know what is on their Father’s mind and walk in a confident understanding of His will.

In order for you and I to grow in our relationship with the Father, we must learn to be led by His Spirit. Maturity is found in your ability to hear God and then execute what you’ve heard. Notice that it’s not just in the hearing that we are matured. The scripture doesn’t say that all who hear God are the sons of God. It says, all who are led by Him are His sons. We must be willing to take instruction from God’s Spirit and then do what we’ve heard! This is maturity my friend. It’s not whether or not you attended every Bible study in the month of June last year or the fact that your family has attended the same church for 150 years. Those things are of little relevance when it comes to maturity. The question is: Can you hear God? And: When you’ve heard him, are you willing to do what He’s said? Those are the issues that truly indicate where you’re walk with the Lord is really at.

Are you hungry to be a mature son of God, or are you comfortable with having your spiritual diapers changed?

Gideon – Part 2

A video follow up to our last blog entry regarding Gideon… Enjoy!

Gideon – Part 1

It was a hot morning at the base of the mountains in the central region of the nation of Israel. Of course, it was always hot here. The sandy beaches of Gaza were too far away to enjoy and the mountains to the east blocked any breezes that might be coming from the Dead Sea. The sun beat down hard on the mountain tops and chaffed the arid landscape. It seemed that even the sand was crying out for a vacation from the heat. It was there, nestled in a valley between two dusty peaks that the tiny village of Ophrah sat quietly. A small rural community made up of simple farmers, shepherds and tradesmen, Ophrah was a town that not many people seemed to notice, much less care about. A boring little outcropping on the rim of a mountain range. Even the Amalekites didn’t seem to pay the town much attention. But today, it was being discovered. Today, heaven itself was taking notice of this scrappy little mountain town.

A pair of ageless eyes surveyed the landscape as the massive being swooped over the mountain sides. He was looking for a place to land and wait for His encounter with this mighty Israeli man. Seeing Ophrah in the distance, he knew that he was almost there. He surged forward at a blinding speed, powered by some unearthly force and sped off like a bullet. Then like a bird his huge wings lifted him high above the town and he circled for a moment before making a final decision on a suitable landing spot. Finally he dropped out of the sky and alighted onto a large boulder beside a pasture. Over his left shoulder stood the small winepress which he knew would be there and in the distance he could see the entry to a cave. Immediately to his right he saw a large terebinth tree with knobby features and curly roots. This would make the perfect spot. With the grace of ten thousand years spent flying around heaven’s throne, he leapt from the rock and landed just under the cover of the branches of the tree. Once again he surveyed the land around him, his eyes seeming to pierce through the rocks and see beyond the mountains. With a look of satisfaction and heavenly confidence, the Angel of the Lord rested his head against the side of the tree and waited, for his encounter with a young Israelite man.

Gideon walked at a brisk pace carrying as much wheat as he possibly could over his shoulder. He knew that it was still early morning, and most of the soldiers would still be sleeping, but these days you could never be too careful. Gideon was a typical Israelite man who worked in the fields to make a living in these harsh surroundings. He lived with his father and did the best he could to help keep food on the table. Although he was not his father’s strongest son, Gideon stood at just above average height with broad shoulders and a tough exterior. He was usually a cheerful person and a man who didn’t fear conflict, but the last several years of pagan oppression were beginning to wear on him. His smile was gone and his sense of power and nobility had departed. In fact, on this particular day he looked weak, and he felt even weaker. “What had happened to the God of Israel?” he thought. “Where was this champion of heaven that had promised to redeem us?” Of course, Gideon knew that most of the nation had long since abandoned God so it seemed only natural that God would abandon them. “We’ve sacrificed our livestock to foreign gods, and now God will sacrifice us to a foreign nation.” His head drooped in shame as he walked.

The sound of rock and sand sliding down a hillside jolted Gideon from his pity party. He quickly checked over his shoulder to see where the sound had come from. It could have been a wild goat or an Amalekite soldier on patrol. Either way, Gideon didn’t have time to stick around and find out. His pace quickened and he slipped around the side of a rock face as he trotted back home. The nice thing about growing up in these mountains was the fact that Gideon could hide from just about anything. He knew every crag and boulder like the back of his hand. In fact, hiding was one of the things that Gideon did best. As he moved quietly from one shadow to the next, he knew that he was out of sight from whatever might be looking for him and soon he would be home. The wheat shifted on his shoulder as he rounded the last bend and saw his father’s cave straight ahead. His eyes became fixed on the winepress which stood before him like a ragged outhouse. That was his goal and he was stiff with determination to get inside. Once he crossed the threshold of the winepress he knew he would be safe. He scrambled towards the door, almost dropping the wheat.

For some reason as he entered the door to the winepress his eye caught a glimpse of light coming from under that old craggy tree over there. What was that? He turned to look. Nothing. Must have been his imagination.

The door closed behind him with a gentle thud. Gideon breathed a deep sigh of relief. He knew that he was home and safe. At least for the time being. For some reason he had never been discovered inside of this humble winepress. It seemed as though the Amalekites never thought to look in here. Why, he would never know. It was the perfect place to hide wheat and Gideon had been doing it for a while now. Perhaps it was the fact that this little building was supposed to be used for making wine, not threshing and harvesting wheat. Whatever it was that had kept the Amalekite soldiers from stopping by, Gideon was thankful for it.

He looked around the musty room. It smelled like rotten fruit and there were fig and grape leaves all over the floor. It was all Gideon could do not to pass out. And the heat wasn’t helping things, that was for sure. The only light that could be seen was pouring in through cracks in the walls and ceiling. This was certainly not the most secure location for a Hebrew man to be in, but for now it worked. Gideon dropped his shoulder full of wheat onto the floor and immediately began to separate the grains of wheat from the crusty chaff that held them. His mind began to recount the last seven years.

Seven years? Had it really been that long since the Amalekites had swept through the promised land of Israel and taken his people captive? It seemed like a long time, yet it seemed like only yesterday. He could still hear the wailing of the Hebrew women as their husbands were dragged away. His heart began to ache at the thought of captivity and his eyes misted with tears.

Outside, The Angel of the Lord under the tree began to stir.

When would God redeem them from this mess? Was there a plan of escape in the Heavenly Creator’s mind? Did this God even care? Then Gideon spoke. “He must have cared. He’s helped us before.” Gideon now began remember the stories that he had heard as a child. Stories about his forefathers. About Abraham and Issac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses. He remembered the stories about Old Man Joshua and how he and God had pushed the Philistene’s out of the land of Cannan, the Land flowed with milk and honey. Oh what he would give for just a taste of honey again! It had been so long. As Gideon stood and thought about the great hero’s of Israel’s past, he felt his heart lift and his countenance began to relax. But his happiness was only for an instant. The door behind him burst open with fury.

Gideon hit the ground, waiting to feel the sting and burn from the whip of the Amalekite soldier. But no such sting came. There was no whip that cracked, no blood or spit. Instead, Gideon turned around slowly to see the most radiant and blinding light he had ever witnessed. To Gideon’s natural eyes it seemed as though the fullness of the sun’s light had erupted into his hiding place in all of its fury. Yet Gideon felt no pain. This light could not be coming from the sun, because it made him cool. He felt that the sweat of his brow had vanished. His muscles, which moments before were tense, now sat relaxed and tender. There was something strange about this encounter. Gideon couldn’t be too sure what made him feel so calm but whatever it was, he liked it.

Without warning, a voice came pouring out of the blinding light, with a force so strong, it knocked Gideon onto his back. “GIDEON, THE LORD IS WITH YOU, OH MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR!” Gideon laid there stunned for a moment. As he was taking in the scene around him with his eyes, his mind caught up with him. The feeling of tension began to return. But as he looked up at the winged being that had burst into the door, their eyes connected and Gideon immediately began to sense new strength in his physical body. The longer he stared at The Angel’s face, the stronger he felt.

Again, The Angel’s voice burst forth from the light. “GIDEON, THE LORD IS WITH YOU, OH MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR!” His words rang out with immense power. Somehow to Gideon, The Angel’s voice was as mighty as a battle cry and yet still as personal as a whisper. Gideon regained his composure and said “If the Lord is truly with us, than why are we overrun by these foreigners? Why has God forsaken us?” The Angel answered and said to him “Gideon, do not be afraid. For you shall go in this might of yours and destroy the armies of those who surround you, single handedly.”

“How can this be? I’m just one man. How can I destroy an army?” Gideon asked. The Angel replied, “Do not be afraid, I will send you and I will strengthen you. You shall defeat these armies for I shall be with you.”

The voice of The Angel stopped speaking and the light became easier for Gideon’s eyes to withstand. His heart softened and he felt every shred of doubt begin to leave as he basked in the beautiful glory that surrounded him. Gideon bowed low, for he knew that the God of Heaven was alive and His Presence was in this room. And as he rose to his feet to prepare a sacrifice for God’s Messenger Gideon could feel himself being strengthened with a power that was not his own…

TO BE CONTINUED…

Fight Discouragement with Faith

Sometimes I think that we have a tendency to be a bit passive in life. I know that this has been the case for me in times past. It is certainly not a constant, but there are those moments when we feel like lying down would be easier than facing whatever is standing in our way. Have you ever had moments of discouragement? Where your efforts don’t seem to be translating into measurable success? It seems like you’re making progress but when you step back, you feel as though you haven’t gotten anywhere. Like a hamster on a wheel. You spin.

Welcome to the land of discouragement. It’s that place that’s sandwiched in between success and mediocrity. It’s the moments in life that, when we look back, seem to be the moments that defined our success or contributed to our failure. It’s the point where the camel chooses to lie down because someone just put that last straw its back, and now it feels broken. And it’s one of the places where the enemy of our soul has been allowed to creep in and end the dreams of many who were not fortified by faith in God.

I know that I sound a bit negative this morning, but there’s a happy ending, I promise. I mentioned at the beginning that there are times in life when we find it much easier to pacify ourselves rather than fight the good fight. We feel as though the challenges of life are speeding towards us like a train with no brakes, and the easiest thing to do would be to lay down and take it. It seems to me that in these types of situations the devil finds a voice in people’s minds and he begins to use discouragement to weaken them towards their breaking point. But the interesting thing about discouragement is that it is easily ousted by simple faith in God. When you begin to analyze discouragement, you find that it’s not quite as deadly as it appears.

For example, Jesus said in Mark 11:22-23 “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, he who says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things that he says will be done. He will have whatever he says.”

 I wonder why Jesus uses a mountain as His example in this scripture. I think it’s probably related to the size and appearance of mountains. Anyone who lives around Boone knows how big our mountains are here and how intimidating they can look. And discouragement often takes on a large and somewhat foreboding, “mountainous” appearance in our minds. But the interesting thing is that unlike mountains, discouragement is a mere shadow of things. It’s an illusion from the devil. A net result of his deceptions. Discouragement is an emotion that is easily laid to rest by having faith in God.

Most of us know this, but often fail to remind ourselves that the devil is a LIAR. Jesus said so in the book of John. He’s the father of LIES. He is incapable of telling the truth, and even when he does say something that seems accurate, it’s always laced with some element of deception. So it stands to reason that when he tries to use discouragement to beat you up, he’s simply not telling you the truth! So when you hear that little voice in your brain saying, “You can’t make it!”…. Rejoice! Because, guess what? You can make it! The devil just confirmed that you are victorious by telling you that you weren’t…

 So the question then remains: Where does the strength to rejoice come from, when I’m fed the lie of failure? The answer is simple: Faith in God.

You see, faith is a heavenly quality that challenges a natural reality. One of the things that defines faith is it’s ability to put up a fight. Faith always challenges the obstacle in front of it with the power that’s behind it. And faith in God always challenges every single discouragement that we face with the power of God. It’s been said that “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” Well, guess what? Faith is the “fight” in the dog. And the stronger your faith is towards God, the stronger you are in a fight.

Discouragement is always a battle. It’s always a challenge. But it’s always defeat-able. Faith will triumph over every lie that the enemy can muster. And if we can remind ourselves that “Greater is He that is IN ME, than he that is in the world…” Our faith will always rise to the occasion and trump the devil’s biggest onslaught of discouragement.

xJust like a can of soda that’s shaken up, faith can be awoken inside of you and can explode onto your circumstance. So remember to put your trust in God and let faith froth up in your heart. Then watch it extinguish the fires of Satan’s discouragement.

Knowing God?

I would like to write about a concept this morning that has extreme relevance to us as the church of Jesus Christ, and as a body of believers. This past week I came across a blog article by a Christian man who shall remain nameless, mostly because I can’t actually remember his name. HA! He was not a famous preacher by any means and most of us probably don’t know who he is, but he wrote a blog article which I found to be rather troubling. I would like to address the concept that he wrote about and then offer my thoughts.

The general premise of his writing was centered around the concept of people hearing from God and therefore understanding and knowing God. It was his argument that the idea of hearing from God was not entirely biblical. That people who have experiences where they hear the voice of God were either not being honest about their experience or that they imagined it and were, in his mind, discredited. I found these statements about hearing from God very troubling for two reasons.

The first reason is one that can be laid to rest rather quickly. And that is that God IS speaking to people ALL THE TIME. This is a point which almost needs no argument. There is a myriad of scriptures in both the Old and New Testament, which validate the reality that God speaks to people and that the more we listen, the more we’ll hear. Now, often times we charismatic folks get ridiculed for elevating our experiences to a height that reaches beyond the scope of scripture. And while I don’t agree with most of that ridicule, I do understand it. Because I have seen and heard things in charismatic churches which sometimes make me scratch my head. But let me emphatically say that this idea of whether or not we can and do hear from God is NOT one of those situations that cannot be proven in scripture. Hearing from God is NOT a charismatic abuse! It’s a reality which is taking place all over the world in the lives of Christians every day.

This leads me to my second reason for being troubled. I believe that this argument about hearing from God indicates a greater concern. And that concern is the argument over whether or not we can “know” God. You see, if I say that I hear from God, than I’m also claiming to “know” something about God. By saying that God is speaking to me, I’m also claiming to know that God speaks. By saying that God healed me is also implying that God heals. When our experiences with God become personal they indicate that we know something about God’s character, ways and motives. Knowing God is an issue which I find to be hotly contested in the church world. And that is the issue which I would like to talk about today.

After reading this man’s article this week, I was prompted to write the following as my status on Facebook: “It is dangerous to assume that we know everything that there is to know about God. This attitude will always lead to pride. It is however also equally dangerous to assume that God is somehow “un-knowable”. This is also pride, in the form of false humility. I’m not being humble when I assume that I can’t know God’s ways or desires. His Word is very clear.”

This idea of knowing God, is one that is fairly simple for us to understand. Yet it seems that people are so divided on the subject. So many people subscribe to the idea that since God is a sovereign being, everything that happens to them is somehow part of His plan. Therefore God’s motives and ways are un-knowable. He does what He does and we just have to live with it. While the other “half” seems to be so accustomed to receiving revelation that they get prideful about their knowledge of God. They look down on those who don’t have any revelation about God . They feel as though they have everything figured out and so they stifle themselves from ever learning more about God and His ways.

Interestingly enough, both of these views are heavily rooted in pride and are equally destructive. Unfortunately it’s rare to find a person who will admit to being in pride in either of these areas. That’s the funny thing about pride. It never admits to being wrong. Prideful people rarely consider themselves prideful. That would hurt their pride too much. HA! But all joking aside, both of these view points are very destructive to a person’s efforts to live for God. I should never assume that I know everything that there is to know about God. One of the reasons that this becomes harmful is that I cease to be vulnerable before God and I am no longer teachable. If I think that I have God figured out, I’ll close myself to the idea of learning more about Him. The scripture teaches us that God is not able to be contained by time and space. He inhabits and fills eternity. His Words are infinite and His power is without limit. Why would we think that we could cram all of His majesty into our minds? Our minds have natural limits, yet God is without limit. How could we possess unlimited resource in a limited container? I think the answer is obvious. There should always be a sense of wonder and amazement at the grandeur of God in the life of a Christian. We would be foolish to think that we have “arrived”. After all, we will spend eternity comprehending God’s awesomeness. Sounds like fun huh?

Of course this doesn’t mean that God is not able to be known. We must have a balanced perspective about this. As I stated before, thinking we know everything about God is a prideful position to take. The pride of that viewpoint is fairly obvious. But the other side of the coin is equally prideful, even though it can be a little harder to spot.

When I take the stance that God is “un-knowable” I am doing an injustice to the truth found in scripture. I hear many people quote these famous lines: “The Lord works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform…” People have based their lives on that phrase. They quote it when something bad happens to them and they don’t understand why. People believe that God is doing all kinds of hurtful things to them and all of these things just fit into His “mysterious ways.” Forget about the fact that this phrase is not in the Bible at all. It was written in the 1700’s by a guy named William Cowper, who I’m sure was a very devout believer.

The reality is that God doesn’t work in mysterious ways at all. In fact, God’s ways are always filled with purpose and are intentional. God doesn’t do things while being shrouded in mystery. He tells us in 1 Cor. 2:9-12 “But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man, The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

Sound mysterious?? I think not. The only times that God seems mysterious to people is when they are lacking in revelation from His Spirit. It’s quite simple really. The longer I walk with God, the more I should expect to learn and know about Him. Yet this is the opposite of many people’s experience. They walk with God for years and after all that time, they end up more confused than when they started. Let it not be so with us!

I remember learning this lesson one day when I was putting Claire in the back seat of the car and getting ready to drive into town. She was so excited to be getting into the car. She had absolutely no idea where we were going, but she was just glad to be along for the ride. I realized that since she is just a little girl and immature, she doesn’t understand my ways as her father. She didn’t know where in town we were headed, and she couldn’t give me directions even if she did know where we were going. This is how Christian’s start they’re relationships with God. We start off like little kids, not really understanding God. But we’re not supposed to stay that way… When Claire is 18 years old, I expect her to be able to know the directions to town from our house. Because understanding is a clear sign of maturity. As she grows, she will learn things. The more time she spends with me, the more she’ll know about my desires for her as her dad.

The same is true for our relationship with our Father God. As we walk with Him, the sense of mystery about who He is should fade. We should be learning things from His Spirit about who God is, and how He thinks. We should come into an understanding of Him the longer we’re around Him. Paul tells us in Philippians that he desires to “…know Him (Jesus) in the power of His resurrection…” And one of the most profound things about the New Covenant as stated in Hebrews is “…No man shall say to his neighbor ‘Know God’ for they shall all know Me, from the least to the greatest…” Personal revelation of God’s character, nature, motives and desires is a direct promise in the New Covenant.

So is God able to be known in His entirety? Certainly not. At least not at the moment. But does He desire to reveal Himself to us every single day? Absolutely. His goal is that we walk in stride with Him, so that He can teach us about who He is. Be sure that you remain teachable so that The Father can reveal Himself to you more fully. And always remember to live in the truth of the things that you have already learned! Never let what you know, stop you from knowing more! God is ready to reveal Himself to you… Are you ready to see and know?