DIVINE APPOINTMENT IN MATURITY

MATURITY? What do you think of when you hear the word, mature? Maybe like me, your first thought is, "senior discount"! The truth is we can be senior in our years and still not be mature. I can remember when I was six years old I could not wait to be ten, then when I was ten, I could not wait to be sixteen and on it went until now - now, I am over sixty and would love to be six again. As a child many of us want to advance in years, believing that the advancement will bring with it more freedom, more experiences, more acknowledgement - but what we found was that the advancement in years really brought more responsibility.

As parents our goal in life is to bring our children to maturity - maturity in stature (body), mind and spirit. There is nothing sadder than that of stunted growth and it is equally true in the Spiritual realm. The Bible speaks of both mature and immature Christians and gives each one instruction as to how to advance in and respond to maturity. There are many places in the Bible that distinguish between the mature and the immature and encourages us to become mature and to be patient with those who are not.

FOOD: How does one mature? The first and most important thing for maturity or growth is food. When a baby is born the first thing he or she wants is his or her mother's milk and in fact they cry for it. Peter tells us that we are to be like newborn babes desiring the MILK of the Word of God that we may GROW by it (I Peter 2:2). Spiritual growth comes from the food of the Word of God and it begins with the milk of the WORD not the meat (or solid food) of the Word. One would not give a new born baby a steak! But, it would be even more sad if that baby only had milk the rest of its life. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that solid food is for the mature and that the one who uses milk is unskillful in the Word of God, for he is a babe (Hebrews 5:13) . In fact, the book of Hebrews is written to urge us on to maturity. We do not stop eating as we grow rather our choice of food changes and increases. It is just as important for a grown person to eat as it is for a baby. The only difference is the type of food he eats. In fact when the Apostle Paul talks about wisdom among Christians, he says that he speaks wisdom among those who are mature (I Corinthians 2:6). So, the first step and the continuing path of growth and sustainment is food, or the Word of God.

FALLS: (OR TRIALS) - Another path to maturity is trials and falls. Have you ever studied a toddler as he or she begins to walk. I dare say you have never seen one who has just gotten out of the crib and started walking. Walking begins with a step usually followed by a fall. It is only after proper food and growth in body that the child is finally able to take stable steps and walk normally or we might say, in maturity. Trials and falls are to be expected in the Christian life. In almost every book of the Bible we are exposed to the fact of trials and the experience of trials for many of God's people. We are often critical of Peter and his many falls but those experiences are given to teach us that falls are to be expected and in many cases to instruct us as to how to avoid some of them. They also reveal God's great patience and restoring grace and the fact that "what God begins, God completes"! Unfortunately, for many of us we are also critical not only of Peter but of one another when he or she falls. Instead of taking them by the hand, lifting them up and strengthening them so that they too may go on to maturity we often judge and criticize. What is your first response to a toddler when it falls? You want to help it up and encourage it to try again. That should be our response to the fallen believer - to help him or her up and to encourage them in their trials. "Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual (mature), RESTORE such a one in the spirit of gentleness: each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:1-2). Too many of the members of Christ's body today are involved in "critical and judgmental downfalls rather than encouraging uplifts". Jude tells us that we are to have compassion on some, making a difference and on others, save with fear, pulling them out of the fire" (Jude 1:22-23). So, falls and trials will be a part of spiritual maturity just as physical maturity. In fact even grown-ups are subject to falls on occasion. So, lets strive to be patience with one another and with ourselves.

FUTURE EXPECTATIONS: A third aspect of maturity is TIME. We should not expect to be mature over night. None of us expect our children to go from the crib to the first grade or from the first grade to college. We know that it takes TIME and we focus our sights on the future when maturity should be achieved. But, we do expect it to be reached and we work toward it, both in ourselves and in others. This requires as I said before, PATIENCE! James chapter one tells us that trials come as a testing of faith to produce patience but we are to let patience have its finished work that we may be MATURE, lacking nothing. Again the goal is MATURITY!

So, I ask the question again, what do you think of when you hear the word, maturity? I hope after these thoughts that you will think of the importance of it in your spiritual life and that you will take the necessary steps toward it by desiring the milk of the Word of God, graduating to the meat of the Word of God - that you will realize that the falls and trials in your life and in others are a necessary part of that maturity and that you will strive to be patient with the weak (or immature) as well as yourself. And, that you will give maturity in your own life and in others TIME to develop. Remember too, that "He who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus". "Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise GOD our SAVIOR,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and forever". And, may you "GROW UP(mature) into HIM in ALL THINGS." (Ephesians 4:15) My children used to sing a song when they were young and I couldn't help but think of the words as I wrote this.

He's still working on me to make me

what I ought to be.

It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars

the Sun and the Earth and

Jupiter and Mars.

How Loving and patient He must be, He's still working

on me.

There really ought to be a

sign upon the heart,

Don't judge him yet,

there's an unfinished part.

But, I'll be PERFECT (MATURE) just according

to His plan,

Fashioned by the Master's loving Hands!

In the mirror of HIS WORD

reflections that I see

Make me wonder why

He never gave up on me.

He loves me as I am and

helps me when I pray,

Remember, He's the POTTER

I'm the CLAY!

DIVINE APPOINTMENT IN THE EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS

PLEASING GOD OR PLEASING OTHERS: Are you a "People Pleaser"? If you are, you know how difficult it can be to accept or reject the recommendations of other people for your life and activity. While there is good Scriptural reason for us to "submit ourselves one to another, to "follow good counsel", to even "yield" to other's desires - perhaps even while suffering wrong ourselves, there are times when we have to stand alone and do what we believe GOD has called us to. That can be a hard thing to do if you are commonly known as a "people pleaser". The Gospel of John chapter seven gives us an incident in the life of Christ when He had to do just such a thing.

Jesus began His life and ministry with such high expectations from people. He had been proclaimed by the popular preacher of that day, John the Baptist, as the "Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world"and was baptised by him. Later He fought the great temptations of Satan in the wilderness and WON!! He was proclaimed by God Himself in a voice from Heaven saying, "This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased". He began to gather followers, and disciples. Soon He was preaching and teaching in the Synagogues (the religious place of worship of the day) and He was doing many great miracles among the people. Jesus' first year of obscurity soon gave way to a year of popularity and He was a welcomed and wanted preacher and teacher.

However, it wasn't long before the year of popularity begin to give way to adversity. In John chapter six we are told that as Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, there was a great multitude who followed Him because they saw the signs (or miracles) He performed. Then He performed a sign on the multitude themselves by feeding them with five loaves of bread and two fishes. We are told that they were filled and that there were even "left-overs". They began to sing His praises after they saw this sign saying, "this is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world". It seemed they believed wholeheartedly in Jesus and He had gained yet another following. In fact they were so in awe of Him that they tried to take Him by force and "make Him a king". Now, in our day many would gladly accept this honor, this success, this adulation of praise - but, not JESUS! We are told that He departed into a mountain by Himself ALONE. They still looked for Him however, only to receive a rebuke by Him as He judged the true reason they were searching for him. He then began to teach them some hard lessons of Theology. (John 6:26-65)

This began His year of unpopularity and adversity and we are told that from that time, MANY went back and walked with Him no more. There He stood with a ruined teaching ministry as He questioned the twelve, "will you go away also?" - to which Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go, YOU have the words of ETERNAL LIFE". I wonder if it was here that Judas began his feeling of disappointment leading to his eventual betrayal of the LORD? After all, if the multitude were going away so was much of the monetary support from which Judas had been stealing. And too, he was no longer associated with a popular preacher of the day but with one to whom many were objecting. Was this what Judas had signed up for?

This brings us to John chapter seven and an event that will be repeated several times before Jesus' final death and departure from this life. The chapter begins by telling us that Jesus walked in Galilee not Judea because the Jews sought to kill Him. However, the Feast of Tabernacles which was held in Judea was near and He always made the Feasts as was required by law. So his natural brothers gave Him a recommendation and with it came the test of "people pleasing". After all, these were His brothers and they expected Him to go. But, their true motive is revealed as they gave him the encouragement to, "Depart from here that your disciples may SEE the WORK that you are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to BE KNOWN OPENLY. If you do these things, SHOW yourself to the world". They too, were disappointed that Jesus was now loosing His popularity. So they encourage His ministry but with a selfish motive - "SHOW the WORLD what you can DO"! They might have said, "After all, is not the approval of ministry shown in its success and popularity?"

Jesus however, knew something about his brothers that even they themselves did not know. It was that they did not KNOW HIM or BELIEVE IN HIM. While they knew him "after the flesh" and knew Him as their brother, they did not know Him as the SON OF GOD and as their SAVIOR. And, Jesus knew something about His own purpose from God and the timing of it. So, He tells them, "My time is not yet come". We are then told that he STAYED in Galilee while they went ahead to the feast. He stayed following the will of God not the recommendation of this brothers. Jesus did not stay because He was afraid of the Jews who were seeking to kill Him, for he later did go and faced them - teaching openly in the Temple. He stayed because God had a time for Him to go up and He would not be influenced by the suggestion of His brothers to step aside from the will of God's timing for Him.

A similar occurrence happened later in John chapter eleven. Lazarus, Jesus' very good friend, had gotten sick and Mary and Martha, Lazarus's sisters, sent for Jesus to come. They knew that Jesus had healed others and He could heal Lazaurs also. So, surely He would heal His very good friend who had ministered to Him and given Him hospitality many times. But, we are told that when Jesus heard it, He STAYED two more days - in fact He stayed until Lazarus died. Why did He not follow the request of his friends and go to Lazarus. Because God had a time and a further glory for Lazarus than being raised from a sick bed. Jesus, in the will and timing of God would raise him from the DEAD!!! Surely, if Jesus had been a "people pleaser" He would have left immediately at the request of his beloved friends but He waited on GOD, His Father.

This type of incident is repeated over and over again in the Life and Ministry of the LORD Jesus and there is not enough time to mention all the examples. These are given, however, for us to make application in our own lives. They bring us back to the question I asked at the beginning, "Are you a "people pleaser"? Are the reasons you do the things you do in your life to please others (even when and if they are very good requests and recommendations) or to please GOD. How can we know when it is okay to please others. I must tell you that by nature, I am a "people pleaser". It is difficult for me to say "NO" to others - but, I have found that in many cases I have to when I clearly know that the suggestion is in opposition to God's time and will for me. I have discovered a few ways for me to discern when to follow man's opinion and when not to. One way is the clear instruction from the WORD OF GOD. Another is committing the situation to PRAYER and then to wait the PROVIDENTIAL leading of God, the Holy Spirit in the situation. It has been said that, "God's ways are behind the scene and He moves all the scenes He is behind". So, finally, it comes to trusting HIM as you have sought clear instruction from his Word, prayerfully committed it to Him and then follow the leading before you. Many times, you may not clearly know whether to follow the recommendation. In such cases you must follow the best course before you, doing all things for the GLORY of GOD, in LOVE and for the EDIFICATION of others, trusting that the LORD who has promised to be with you, IS with you in the situation.

We should also be careful not to judge others in their decisions to reject our suggestions. Jesus carefully warns the people not to judge according to appearance (things are not always as they APPEAR to be) but to judge righteous judgment. Remember that God has a will and time in other's lives too and it may not be according to our recommendations for them. My prayer is that we all may carefully and prayerfully follow the LORD, pleasing HIM in all things - even when it means displeasing others. May we become "GOD PLEASERS" not "PEOPLE PLEASERS"!!

DIVINE APPOINTMENT IN STORMS AND SHELTER

TORNADOES: So many people have experienced storms and tornadoes this year - many to their sorrow - others, in gratitude that they were spared the destruction that some experienced. I stood at my window today listening to the wind and watching the hail. As I listened and watched, I wondered if it was too soon to get into my "safe place". My safe place is my utility room - the central most room away from windows in our home. As I stood there I was once again reminded just how helpless mankind is in the face of some of life's storms. I had experienced this before when we lived in Fairhope, AL and watched as hurricane Katrina came tumbling through the Gulf and caused such havoc, destruction, and death.

As I thought about Katrina and the storm I was presently facing I was reminded that in reality my "safe place" was not a utility room, although wisdom would dictate I go there if the need so arises. But, let's face it - even a safe room didn't help some going though Katrina nor others who have experienced tornadoes this past year. Those rooms may have indeed been the means of safety for some but they were not the ultimate cause of their survival.

Psalms 91:1-4 states: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty, I will say to the LORD, "My REFUGE and my FORTRESS, My God, in whom I trust!" For it is HE who delivers you from the snare of the trapper, and from the deadly pestilence. HE will cover you with HIS pinions and under HIS WINGS you may seek SHELTER (or REFUGE); His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

As I looked at the storm facing me from my window and realized that my real safety was not a utility room, it dawned on me also that I had no control over the storm. I did not cause the storm and I could not direct the storm. That's just like a lot of the storms which come into our lives by way of various trials and circumstances. They may come (as in the life of Job) for NO reason of our own - nothing we have done to cause them. And, like Job too, there is nothing we can do to control them. Some storms just have to take their course as we find refuge in the LORD and wait his timing for the end of the storm. I have watched many storms this spring last a significant amount of time and others I have seen last only a few minutes. That also may be the case with many of the trials we face - some may seem to never end and others may last only a short time. But, in each of the storms whether long or short, I had to simply WAIT and find SHELTER until the storm was passed.

If you are facing a storm in you life today, whether the literal storms of a tornado or the stormy trials of life, take SHELTER in the ONE who controls it all and rest in HIS SOVEREIGN purpose for it. That's the only real "safe place" for us to find shelter. May HE hide you under the shadow of HIS wings in whatever trial or storm you may face today.

DIVINE APPOINTMENT IN JUDGMENT AND THE DEATH OF OSAMA BIN LADEN

REJOICING IN JUDGMENT: Today, May 1, 2011, the world has gotten the news that a mass murderer has been found and executed. Many have received that message with elation, others with sadness, and few with indifference. What were your emotions as you heard that the one who masterminded the attacks against innocent men, women and children had finally met his doom?

The book of Revelation chapter 15:3-4 states: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O KING of the saints! Who shall not FEAR You, O Lord, and GLORIFY Your name? For You ALONE are HOLY, for all Nations shall come and worship before You, FOR YOUR JUDGMENTS HAVE BEEN MANIFESTED."

If we do not rightly understand the manifested judgments of God, we do not rightly understand the Cross of Calvary and the Christ who died there or the Father who "so loved the world that He gave his only begotten SON". Calvary was all about judgment! God the Father poured out His RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT on the innocent Lamb that He had provided for the world. And, in the book of Revelation we are told that the Saints REJOICE in that manifested judgment that will come to those who do not believe or accept the salvation FREELY offered to them in this lifetime. The saints are not rejoicing in the suffering of any, but in the "MANIFESTED JUDGMENTS of a RIGHTEOUS GOD" Who JUDGES SIN.

Osama Bin Laden had his "TIME TO REPENT", but he chose a lifetime of murder and evil practices instead. Since Bin Laden's planned attack on America, The Righteous God gave him ten years to turn - ten years to repent - ten years to believe. Osama chose his fate - he spurned the Mercy of a loving God and chose the JUSTICE due to him. So, I for one rejoice that a murderer is brought to JUSTICE and there is one less person to practice the works of EVIL on the innocent. I do grieve in his eternal suffering but not in the cessation of his practice of evil on the earth.

So, where does that leave me and you? We too must face the judgment of God - "it is appointed to man once to die and after this the JUDGMENT". While we may not have sinned after the same manner as Osama Bin Laden, nevertheless, "ALL have sinned and come short of the GLORY OF GOD". We either face that judgment in the death of Jesus Christ in His suffering FOR US or we will face it at the end of the world in an eternal judgment right along Osama Bin Laden.

The merciful God gave Osama Bin Laden TIME TO REPENT and BELIEVE the GOSPEL - He also gives us time to REPENT and BELIEVE, but reminds us that, "TODAY is the day of Salvation" - we are not promised tomorrow"! "The Lord is LONG SUFFERING toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to REPENTANCE". How is it with you and me today - have we experienced that repentance and faith? Do we believe the GOSPEL - the GOOD NEWS that, "God so LOVED the World that He gave HIS only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in HIM should NOT PERISH, but should have EVERLASTING LIFE"!! Choose LIFE today - turn to HIM - Repent and Believe the GOSPEL - don't follow in the steps and finality of OSAMA BIN LADEN!!!