When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. II Cor.13:11
We've arrived at a place in this dispensation of time where the LORD is calling for maturity. And make no mistake about it, it's not simply due the magnitude of which the natural fabric of the world around us that we for years put our hopes and dependency on is decaying at an unprecedented rate, save for the prayers of the saints of GOD, but GOD has been calling for maturity out of HIS people from the beginning. Only those mature in their walk with the LORD will truly be able to not only display the will of GOD with consistency, but just as importantly be able to teach and lead others. It only helps us to see the urgent necessity for grown-up saints of GOD when we look at the things going on in the earth today. Gay marriage being legalized by the courts, children rescued from polygamist camps being ordered to return to that abusive, lascivious environment, young people gunned down before their even close to their prime, fruitless wars, the threat of food shortages, natural disasters ravaging lives across the globe; the salt of the earth has got to step it up. DADDY is looking for HIS children to grow up.
In the natural, we realize that there are set stages of development that are designed to manifest in succession. We go from being babies dependent on others to do what we have need of and only being able to stomach a certain diet until we grow out of it and have gotten everything we needed at the first level in order to move on to the next stage of adolescence and young adulthood, and from there, the levels of adulthood. Spiritually, since the natural only mirrors and does not supersede that which takes place in the Spirit, we have been set on a similar course. We start out cleaving to milk from the LORD, learning the basic principles and the first oracles of GOD(Heb.5:12), then when we apply what we learn actively and thirst after more, using what we've received to cause our appetite for GOD to increase, and we find ourselves moving from a place of infancy in JESUS to a place of youth and young adulthood, and prayerfully so on as GOD has intended. The reason we said that the spiritual aspect of growth is similar, and not the same, is because we can stunt our growth and supposed to be somewhere, and not be there.
Look at that scripture we just sited in Hebrews. 'At a time when you should be teachers, you have need that someone teach you...'. Look at that. Arrested development. See, unlike in the natural, where you can look older than you really are or act and people not know unless they take a closer look and get to know you, in the spiritual you can't look like you know what you're doing and not because bottom line, to those that know the difference between things real and things faked, a tree is known only by the fruit it bears. And I promise you this: if you think you can fake fruit, the fact there there is no root to your appearance is going to be exposed because GOD is not mocked(Gal.6:7).
The Apostle John, the disciple that JESUS loved, knew that there were certain things you can get from certain people based on what stage of development they're in. Each stage of development and it's entering in and graduating from possesses different things(I John 2:13). So needless to say, there are things we can do at one stage that we can't do at another. The problem occurs when individuals try to operate in one level while still being in another they have yet to graduate from or, individuals won't do what they're supposed to to be where they're supposed to, and so they attempt to minister to people out of where they are, not realizing that their impact is minimal compared to what it's supposed to be and that they're cheating the people they're ministering to, cheating GOD, and cheating themselves. These scenarios can go hand in hand, but don't have to.
Grow up.
Right now, you and I can't afford to not be where we're supposed to be. Do you realize how many things are held up in terms of blessing and provision, even areas of deliverance and healing, simply by me not being in the correct stage of development in the right season? In our text for today, the Apostle Paul gives us some revelation on growing in the LORD. He said when he became a man, he put away childish things. He realized that what he had been using to function and operate was good no longer at this next level. The foundation of what was learned is essential to take along, but the actual way I went about doing things there is not going to cut it here. I can't get grown stuff from GOD still acting and understanding and thinking like a child...
Grow up.
Let me show you something. Maturity in the LORD comes the more we decrease that HE might increase(John 3:30). That means instead of it being about us, it's become about the will of GOD. And let's make sure we get it straight: GOD is requiring maturity to be on the plate of EVERY Believer(Phil.3:15). So what are some of the earmarks of immaturity and not being where you need to be in the LORD? Well, a mature saint of GOD does not blame others for their lack of whatever it is. If I'm lacking patience, I can't blame someone else for the way I responded when the choice was mine. If I'm lacking opportunities to minister, I can't blame anyone but myself for not following the mandate of GOD to become who I'm supposed to become in HIM. Mature saints of GOD do not hold grudges. A mature saint of GOD does not allow another saint or another anyone for that matter cause them to act outside of the will of GOD. A mature saint of GOD is diligent and faithful(hello!) and has learned to put the needs of others before their own. A mature saint is not always concerned about how that in which is going on effects them(everything is not about you). A mature saint of GOD does not make excuses for not doing the will of GOD. A mature saint of GOD does not pout or throw temper tantrums at GOD. A mature saint of GOD has learned to love no matter what and how to not allow someone who's being a devil to make them act like a devil, too. A mature saint prays the will of GOD for their enemies.
You see, we limit the error we may possibly commit in the handling and caring of GOD's people when we allow GOD to make us and make sure that we get everything that is being offered and mandated that we have at every stage of development. I don't want to drag my feet, and I don't want to try to get ahead; either way I exhibit pride because I'm saying I don't have to be where GOD wants me to be right now or that I'm better than where GOD has me right now.
Being a child of GOD does not mean to stay a child in GOD. Your destiny hinges on your being where you need to be when you need to be there. Time out for the kiddy rides in salvation; it's time to move on to bigger and better. Don't be out of your element because you're too big and still hanging out with the kids or you're too small and trying to run with the big dogs. Be who and where GOD wants you.
Grow up...
GOD bless...
KD
We've arrived at a place in this dispensation of time where the LORD is calling for maturity. And make no mistake about it, it's not simply due the magnitude of which the natural fabric of the world around us that we for years put our hopes and dependency on is decaying at an unprecedented rate, save for the prayers of the saints of GOD, but GOD has been calling for maturity out of HIS people from the beginning. Only those mature in their walk with the LORD will truly be able to not only display the will of GOD with consistency, but just as importantly be able to teach and lead others. It only helps us to see the urgent necessity for grown-up saints of GOD when we look at the things going on in the earth today. Gay marriage being legalized by the courts, children rescued from polygamist camps being ordered to return to that abusive, lascivious environment, young people gunned down before their even close to their prime, fruitless wars, the threat of food shortages, natural disasters ravaging lives across the globe; the salt of the earth has got to step it up. DADDY is looking for HIS children to grow up.
In the natural, we realize that there are set stages of development that are designed to manifest in succession. We go from being babies dependent on others to do what we have need of and only being able to stomach a certain diet until we grow out of it and have gotten everything we needed at the first level in order to move on to the next stage of adolescence and young adulthood, and from there, the levels of adulthood. Spiritually, since the natural only mirrors and does not supersede that which takes place in the Spirit, we have been set on a similar course. We start out cleaving to milk from the LORD, learning the basic principles and the first oracles of GOD(Heb.5:12), then when we apply what we learn actively and thirst after more, using what we've received to cause our appetite for GOD to increase, and we find ourselves moving from a place of infancy in JESUS to a place of youth and young adulthood, and prayerfully so on as GOD has intended. The reason we said that the spiritual aspect of growth is similar, and not the same, is because we can stunt our growth and supposed to be somewhere, and not be there.
Look at that scripture we just sited in Hebrews. 'At a time when you should be teachers, you have need that someone teach you...'. Look at that. Arrested development. See, unlike in the natural, where you can look older than you really are or act and people not know unless they take a closer look and get to know you, in the spiritual you can't look like you know what you're doing and not because bottom line, to those that know the difference between things real and things faked, a tree is known only by the fruit it bears. And I promise you this: if you think you can fake fruit, the fact there there is no root to your appearance is going to be exposed because GOD is not mocked(Gal.6:7).
The Apostle John, the disciple that JESUS loved, knew that there were certain things you can get from certain people based on what stage of development they're in. Each stage of development and it's entering in and graduating from possesses different things(I John 2:13). So needless to say, there are things we can do at one stage that we can't do at another. The problem occurs when individuals try to operate in one level while still being in another they have yet to graduate from or, individuals won't do what they're supposed to to be where they're supposed to, and so they attempt to minister to people out of where they are, not realizing that their impact is minimal compared to what it's supposed to be and that they're cheating the people they're ministering to, cheating GOD, and cheating themselves. These scenarios can go hand in hand, but don't have to.
Grow up.
Right now, you and I can't afford to not be where we're supposed to be. Do you realize how many things are held up in terms of blessing and provision, even areas of deliverance and healing, simply by me not being in the correct stage of development in the right season? In our text for today, the Apostle Paul gives us some revelation on growing in the LORD. He said when he became a man, he put away childish things. He realized that what he had been using to function and operate was good no longer at this next level. The foundation of what was learned is essential to take along, but the actual way I went about doing things there is not going to cut it here. I can't get grown stuff from GOD still acting and understanding and thinking like a child...
Grow up.
Let me show you something. Maturity in the LORD comes the more we decrease that HE might increase(John 3:30). That means instead of it being about us, it's become about the will of GOD. And let's make sure we get it straight: GOD is requiring maturity to be on the plate of EVERY Believer(Phil.3:15). So what are some of the earmarks of immaturity and not being where you need to be in the LORD? Well, a mature saint of GOD does not blame others for their lack of whatever it is. If I'm lacking patience, I can't blame someone else for the way I responded when the choice was mine. If I'm lacking opportunities to minister, I can't blame anyone but myself for not following the mandate of GOD to become who I'm supposed to become in HIM. Mature saints of GOD do not hold grudges. A mature saint of GOD does not allow another saint or another anyone for that matter cause them to act outside of the will of GOD. A mature saint of GOD is diligent and faithful(hello!) and has learned to put the needs of others before their own. A mature saint is not always concerned about how that in which is going on effects them(everything is not about you). A mature saint of GOD does not make excuses for not doing the will of GOD. A mature saint of GOD does not pout or throw temper tantrums at GOD. A mature saint of GOD has learned to love no matter what and how to not allow someone who's being a devil to make them act like a devil, too. A mature saint prays the will of GOD for their enemies.
You see, we limit the error we may possibly commit in the handling and caring of GOD's people when we allow GOD to make us and make sure that we get everything that is being offered and mandated that we have at every stage of development. I don't want to drag my feet, and I don't want to try to get ahead; either way I exhibit pride because I'm saying I don't have to be where GOD wants me to be right now or that I'm better than where GOD has me right now.
Being a child of GOD does not mean to stay a child in GOD. Your destiny hinges on your being where you need to be when you need to be there. Time out for the kiddy rides in salvation; it's time to move on to bigger and better. Don't be out of your element because you're too big and still hanging out with the kids or you're too small and trying to run with the big dogs. Be who and where GOD wants you.
Grow up...
GOD bless...
KD
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