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SCRIPTURE - 1Cor 3:1-2 March, 2010 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. SUBJECT - IT'S TIME FOR BABIES, TO GROW UP!! The message for this month, and maybe next month, though delivered in love, is one that many of you will find offensive. However, those of you that know me, and have followed this ministry, know, this is not the first time, nor, if God is willing, will it be the last, for I am not seeking anyone's approval, to what I am given to say, here on earth. We have a serious problem in this nation, and it is not the fault of government, [i.e. Democrats, Republicans, or others],but most of us, that name the name of Christ. How so, you might ask. Because too many of us, are Spiritually immature. In fact, as the apostle Paul says in the subject scriptures, you are babies, and have to be treated as such. By the way, I am not talking about those of you that have recently gotten saved. I am talking about those of you that have been walking the King's Highway, 10, 20 or more years, and think you've got it all together. The apostle Paul, was addressing a Church body, which included its leaders, about their failure to grow Spiritually, because of their constant bickering about all sorts of things, usually involving adherence to doctrine, versus tradition. Most of them, had gotten caught up in what was a conflict between, being challenged, and the pain that goes with it, and what was comfortable. Let's consider a baby. We all know, when they come in to the world, one thing that is key to their growth, is nutrition. And that nutrition is in the form of milk, the only food source they can tolerate. They have no teeth, so they can't chew anything, neither can their tiny organs digest solid foods. However, after a few months or so, they can begin to take in solid food, that has the consistency of semi liquids[baby food]. As they grow older, and teeth come in, they graduate to more solid food, until they can fully take in and digest the most difficult food of all, meat. This is the natural order of things for humans, as well as most animals. Now, let's look at Christians. When you first get saved, despite how old you are, you are a baby, in Christ. And, as such, in order to keep you from second guessing your choice to come to Christ, you are led to understand the very basic principles of your relationship to Christ. Everything is, for all intents and purposes, in the form of 'Spiritual Milk.' If we look at milk, and how its made, it is quite simple. Some animal, or human, usually a mature female, eats some type of food, usually solid, chews it, swallows it, and their body digests it. Then, their body produces this milk, which in turn is extracted, to be used as nutrition for its recipient. Well, in the same fashion, they [some saints] never get beyond this. The more mature saints in the Church, who eat the 'Meat of the Word', chew on it, swallow it, digest it, then, when needed, feed babies in Christ, they give them milk, because they can't take the meat. Hopefully, as they grow, they can begin to take a little more solid [semi solid] food. Then later, move on to the full 'Meat of the Word.' Sad to say, with most of you, this process is taking far too long, if at all. The reason being, Growth, Spiritual Growth, just like natural physical growth, takes effort, on the part of the baby. But, babies, don't like it. They have gotten used to the way things have been, and don't want to face new challenges. We all know how much babies liked to be carried everywhere, and the fit they had, when they got too big to be carried around, and had to walk on their own legs. Many times, they would plop down on the floor, and wouldn't move, until you did something, whatever that may have been, to make them get up and walk. Well that, in a nutshell, is what the apostle Paul was dealing with, addressing the Church at Corinth, and that is what is happening with a lot of Christians today. You tend to believe that what you know, is all that you need to make it in to Heaven, and you are right. The problem is, what you may know, is not enough for you to get through this life, in a victorious fashion. Anybody, and I mean anybody, that is saved, will get in to Heaven, and that is all they want. It is like that statement Psa 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 'Just as long as I can make it in Lord, that's all I want.', is what you say. Well, what about, what God wants?? Have you ever considered that God has you here for a reason, and it's not just to get in to Heaven? You may be satisfied being a doorkeeper, but, God wants you to be sitting at the table, with Him. If you are satisfied with being a doorkeeper, then, that will be your reward. What is the milk of the Word? It is that part of the Word, that is the most desired by all of us. Salvation through the Blood, the Love of God, being water baptized, and doing good works. This, believe it or not, is all that most of the Church is stuck in. Saints, with 30, 40, and 50 years in the service of Christ, have not gone beyond these 'BASIC' fundamentals. That is all they preach, and that is because they either don't know anything else, or, that is all they are comfortable with, and don't want to go any further. What does Paul say about this?? Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Heb 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit. What we need to be doing, is getting in to the warfare that the 'enemy', is waging against us. And his key weapon against us, is our lack of knowledge, not necessarily to the Word of God, even though that may be the case, but, to the devices that he uses against us. Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. 2Cor 2:9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 2Cor 2:10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 2Cor 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. The above scriptures, let us know that we have an enemy, and the devices that he tries to use against us, are not unknown to us, or at least they shouldn't be. Unfortunately, they are unknown to babies, who want to look at the world as God's property, with Him in control, and as such, they don't have to do anything, because 'Daddy', will take care of that 'mean ol' Devil.' News Flash!!! God has us here, to take care of that Devil. Remember what Jesus said, Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. We are the Church, and gates, are not a living organism. Meaning they aren't on the offensive against us. They are there, to keep us out, or someone else, in. And, the Church is supposed to attack and tear down those gates, to set free, those that are imprisoned behind them. That is the warfare the Church is in. However, there are very few people willing to fight the battles, on all fronts, because they don't see what the enemy is trying to do, and therefore, don't feel any need to get 'extreme' about anything. This is one of the reasons, the nation is in the mess it is in. The Church, which is supposed to be guiding it in the paths it should be going, is too full of Spiritual babies, that have to be fed through a Spiritual baby bottle, 'Milk', because if they were given the 'Meat' of the Word, they would literally choke on it. They couldn't take it. But, that is what we need, Meat. But the babies, have to grow up, quickly. Warfare is for mature saints, not babies. I guess you can tell, I am giving you a small dose of Meat, to see how you react to it. And it is not so much so I can see how you react to it, but that you can see how you react to it. You may think you have it all together, but you really don't. So, how come so many have remained babies all the years they have been in the Church?? It all falls on one individual. The man in the pulpit. The pastor, among other things, has the responsibility of taking babies in Christ, and nurturing them to get them to grow up in to the men, and women, God wants them to be, so that they can go out and fight the type of battle that God wants them to fight. A fight against the Devil, and the world system. Problem is, too many of them, pastors, are Spiritual babies, themselves. Oh sure, they may have all sorts of credentials, showing their education, and degrees, and may have been awarded all types of honors, but, that is of no importance, as far as God is concerned. It is a fact that the only thing babies can bring forth, are other babies, or as Jesus once said, The servant, can't be greater than his/her master, meaning, any one that is teaching you, has to have more knowledge than you. But, when you and them become equal, then there is nothing else left for them to teach you, and therefore, you have reached the limit of their knowledge. However, that is not the limit of God's knowledge, or ability to show forth His Power. Think about this for a moment. We all would say, for we have been taught this at the beginning that, 'God, is Love.' We also say, 'God, is all Powerful! God Cannot Fail!! The crux of these and other like minded statements, bare witness to one thing. Nothing can happen to us, if God doesn't want it to happen. By the same token, we can't do anything, if God doesn't empower us to do it. Well then, something is wrong. If we will look at our lives, and the condition many of us are in, we would be forced to ask the question, 'Why is God allowing this stuff to happen to me?? That is the same thing, so to speak, a baby would be asking, when mom/dad, stops picking them up, and wants them to walk. It's not that they hate their child, but rather, the time has come for them to walk on their own two feet. The same thing holds true with you. It's time to walk on the Spiritual Feet, God gave you. It's time for you to grow up!! More on this, next month. |