By Now

 

By Now

Hebrews 5: ¹¹ There is much we have to say about this matter, but it is hard to explain to you, because you are so slow to understand. ¹² There has been enough time for you to be teachers—yet you still need someone to teach you the first lessons of God's message. Instead of eating solid food, you still have to drink milk. ¹³ Anyone who has to drink milk is still a child, without any experience in the matter of right and wrong. ¹⁴ Solid food, on the other hand, is for adults, who through practice are able to distinguish between good and evil.

 

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Sitting back and listening to the leader, I had many suggestions for improvement. One day, someone approached me and said, “When are you going to lead?”” The challenge felt like an insult at first, but eventually I wrapped my head around the concept and became a leader of a small group of people. It was harder than I thought.

 

• I had to learn while I was expected to be the teacher.
• I had to grow in ways I never would have imagined.
• I had to get out of my comfort zone and step into the spotlight, receiving the criticism instead of dishing it out.

 

“When will you grow up?” were the implied words from Paul, the assumed writer. He urged those who have been taught about JESUS to grow in spiritual maturity enough to teach instead of always being taught.

 

My Observations

• Solid food is for adults and GOD wants me to grow to eat it.
• Life is difficult so GOD wants me to be able to face it with HIS ways, which equates to “solid food.”
• Going to church can become a habit, BUT GOD wants me to grow up enough to take on responsibility outside being preached to.

 

“Act your age” is what the old folks used to say, meaning “by now you should be growing away from childish behavior.” It doesn’t feel good to be responsible for something, especially as precious as life after death. BUT GOD has given humans the responsibility to spread the Gospel versus always absorbing it.

 

GOD wants you and me to eventually grow up enough to teach, preach and live the Good news about JESUS. HE wants to give “solid food” to be able to bring people back to HIMSELF. I gladly accept the responsibility HE gives me and pray HE guides me to growth.

 

Challenge

• What are the “first lessons” the writer is speaking about?
• Have you ever imagined yourself in a perpetual kindergarten?
• Do you expect to always learn without ever teaching?
• Will you accept GOD’s growth and begin teaching HIS “solid food” today?

Place to Place

Place to Place

Acts 14: ²¹ They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, ²² strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. ²³ Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. ²⁴ After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, ²⁵ and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶ From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ²⁷ On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

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Rushing into the gas station bathroom, I held my breath as long as I could. I really had to go, so the super-disgusting surrounding would not deter my mission. Not knowing if I made up a saying or heard it along the way, I remembered “Leave a place better than you found it.” I wiped off the grimy sink.

• There have been some places I’ve been that were disgusting.
• There have been some places I’ve been that were difficult.
• There have been some places I’ve been that were downright disastrous.

Paul and Barnabas returned to the place where Paul was stoned. Their return brought on new life to those who remained. They encouraged the residents to remain true to the faith, explaining the hardships of a true follower of JESUS. They appointed elders, committing them to the LORD. This place was now better.

• GOD wants me to meet people wherever I go.
• GOD wants me to leave people better than I found them.
• GOD wants me to encourage people and prepare them to be strong during persecution.

Some people will remain stationary and reach others for CHRIST. Others, like me, will go from place to place with HIS encouraging message. No matter which of the two, GOD wants HIS kingdom to be encouraged.

Each encounter I have with another human is precious. GOD wants me to see what HE sees in people and encourage them rather than sending up yet another complaint about “that” person. GOD already has the accuser standing before HIM, complaining about each human. GOD wats me to stand firm and pray a blessing on people I meet. I am grateful GOD gives me purpose.

• Are you complaining about people?
• Are you being persecuted?
• If you are planning to leave a place, will you encourage the people before you leave so they can be strengthened in CHRIST?

Mentor’s Role

Mentor’s Role

Acts 13: ⁴² As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. ⁴³ When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

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Excited about being asked to be a mentor, I went to a peer and asked, “What should I say?” I mean I had never mentored anyone before. Or at least I did not knowingly mentor anyone. He said “Pull them up, just like you are being pulled up.” I did this for a while but I learned a new twist.

• There were times when I thought I was higher than someone.
• There were times when I believed in levels.
• There were times when I compared my abilities to other people.

Paul and Barnabas finished speaking about JESUS to a group who had been attending church regularly. They were so intrigued, that they invited Paul and Barnabas to speak the next week. From that day, they became mentors.

• GOD wants me to point people upward.
• GOD wants me to grow people to believe in HIM.
• GOD wants me to take the focus off of me and place it on HIM.

The new twist I learned in mentoring was not to “pull someone up”, rather point “people upward.” GOD is the only One who is “up.” HE is the Most High. Encouraging people to follow HIM is the best mentoring I can ever do. I am grateful I can point people to the grace of GOD.

• Are you being followed by people?
• Do people take your advice?
• Will you provide people with encouragement to follow GOD and urge them to surrender their lives to JESUS today?

Innovation Interrogation

Innovation Interrogation

John 9: ¹⁷ They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?”

He said, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸ But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. ¹⁹ And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

²⁰ His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹ but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

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In the meeting I asked one person for suggestions. “Brilliant!” I exclaimed to their answer. I asked follow on questions to get them to think of new ideas. When another person tried to add their remarks, I replied “Thanks, but not right now.” Then I added, “Can you stay after the meeting?” knowing I wanted to ask questions about their strange expenses.

• There have been times when I asked questions of people, knowing fully that I did not believe them.
• There have been times when I have put together a line of questions that forced people to prove themselves.
• There have been times when I sought after the guilt of a person.

The church leaders were getting nowhere with the healed blind man so they brought in his parents. They hoped his parents would say, “This man is not our son” or “He never was blind” but they confirmed he was their son who was born blind. His parents feared the church leader’s power to make them homeless and ostracized.

• GOD wants me to seek the innocence in people in order to bring them to HIM.
• GOD wants me to look at people with grace so they can grow in HIM.
• GOD wants me to add to people versus taking away from them.

Innovative questions assume expertise, wisdom and capability. Interrogation questions assume guilt, wrong motive and need for correction. GOD wants me to be in the innovative realm as much as possible. HE is the creator and has given me the ability to do the same on a much smaller scale.

It takes patience, grace and mercy to think innovatively. GOD wants me to build people up instead of trying to tear them down. I ask GOD for help in this and I am grateful HE gives mercy.

• Are you asking interrogation type questions to people around you?
• Are you seeking their guilt so you can look better?
• Will you start asking innovative questions so people can grow in the way GOD wants them to?

Graduations

Luke 2: ³⁹ So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

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“Can I go see a movie with my friends?” I asked. “Yes” was the answer and I was delighted. We chose a popular disco movie of its time and, while cheesy, I thought was the best movie. I had graduated from elementary school and the world recognized me as being ready!

• When I graduated I felt ready.
• When I graduated I was recognized as being ready.
• When I graduated I felt a sense of relief and anxiety because I was now in the next step.

JESUS grew physically, mentally, emotionally and most important, spiritually. HE became strong in the SPIRIT each day. Though HE was the chosen One, HE was not ready as a child to take on the sins of the world. HE had to face many obstacles in order to truly mature.

• GOD wants me to look at life as continuous growth.
• GOD wants me to seek opportunities to obtain wisdom from HIM.
• GOD wants me to eventually put my relationship with HIM into practice.

Maturity is what GOD wants from me. Sometimes I still hang out with the same childish ways and I am forgiven for them. BUY GOD wants more from me. HE expects me to grow in faith, belief and grace. GOD desires that at some point I will accept HIS mercy and follow HIM implicitly. This takes practice. I am willing to follow HIM more and more each day.

• Are you still waiting for something amazing to happen and not recognizing the amazing things that have already happened to you?
• Are you growing in GOD?
• Will you seek to use the maturity HE has already given you to serve others today?

Becoming a Farmer

Matthew 13: ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

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Overlooked in this passage is the farmer. There are many qualities of the farmer that stick out to me.

• The farmer had a purpose, namely to sow as many seeds as he could.
• The farmer did not care where he spread the seeds because he had plenty to spread.
• The farmer had seeds of potential that could produce huge crops from only a few.

JESUS was so busy explaining what the seeds were for that could not get to the point where HE revealed HIMSELF as the farmer.  HE had plenty of seed to spread but sometimes I could not allow them to grow in my life. BUT GOD did something wonderful in my life.

• GOD tilled my rocky soil heart to become softer.
• GOD fertilized my barren heart to become ready.
• GOD watered my dried up heart to grow HIS seeds.

Farming is the example in this parable that is often overlooked. GOD wants me to spread HIS seeds wherever I go.

• Does your life have purpose?
• Can you stop caring about who you spread GOD’s message to and go where HE sends you?
• Will you take one “seed of potential” and place it in someone today to grow GOD’s kingdom?