GROWING UP TO MATURITY

Text:

1 Peter 2:2 KJV

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Growth is a significant aspect of human life. Growth starts right away after conception as the fetus begins to take different forms and shapes till the day of delivery. Right after this, there is a time the baby is expected to sit unaided, and also a time to start crawling, standing and eventually walking and It is always a sort of concern to every parent when this is delayed.

I remembered some months ago, when my wife ran to the sitting room with a great joy to announce to me that Gozie(our baby that was then eleven months stood up unassisted for the very first time, today he is already walking)

In this same vain, it should be the joy of every christian not only to grow spiritually but also monitor and encourage such spiritual maturity in his children even as they grow physically and mentally. 'And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him — Luke 2:40 KJV. It is not just enough to say we are saved, it is not also enough to say we know Christ while we continue to dwell in spiritual stagnancy, '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, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment— Hebrews 6:1-2 KJV

God has shown us the way to spiritual growth. He wants us not just to read the bible but also to meditate and apply what we read in our daily living. In the Word of God are the answers to all the questions and puzzles of life. In it lies the power to do all things through Christ Jesus; to win all battles and to keep standing(Joshua 1:8, Philippians 4:13).

When we are not growing, we are at the risk of receiving 'another gospel' (man's doctrine rather than God's). Galatians 1:6 KJV 'I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.' Our lives and ways will be built and shaped according to theirs and not Christ's, and we live everyday at their mercy, 'And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you(2 Peter 2:3 KJV). We will also be at the risk of abandoning our first love and clinging to denominational dictum at the expense of the Word of God and in so doing, we will no longer jealously guide our salvation, 'Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ— Colossians 2:8 KJV.

Wrong Doctrine will impede our spiritual growth. We need to be at the right place where we can received the Word undiluted from the man on the Pulpit. We neglect this to our own peril.

The Church is not just a social gathering. It is the body of Christ, therefore every teaching must be in conformity with this single objective: 'To conform to the image of Christ'(Rom. 8:29). But where this is not so, you owe yourselve a great deal to walk away and ask the Holy Spirit to direct your steps to the right place. Ephesians 4:14 says, 'That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to' KJV.

Continue to grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Remain Blessed!

GROWING UP TO MATURITY

Text:

1 Peter 2:2 KJV

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Growth is a significant aspect of human life. Growth starts right away after conception as the fetus begins to take different forms and shapes till the day of delivery. Right after this, there is a time the baby is expected to sit unaided, and also a time to start crawling, standing and eventually walking and It is always a sort of concern to every parent when this is delayed.

I remembered some months ago, when my wife ran to the sitting room with a great joy to announce to me that Gozie(our baby that was then eleven months stood up unassisted for the very first time, today he is already walking)

In this same vain, it should be the joy of every christian not only to grow spiritually but also monitor and encourage such spiritual maturity in his children even as they grow physically and mentally. 'And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him — Luke 2:40 KJV. It is not just enough to say we are saved, it is not also enough to say we know Christ while we continue to dwell in spiritual stagnancy, '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, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment— Hebrews 6:1-2 KJV

LET ME LIVE MY LIFE?

Text:
Romans 14:7-8 AMP.
None of us lives to himself [but to the Lord], and none of us dies to himself [but to the Lord, for] If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord.

Emeka has no room in his heart for the gospel of Christ. He sees preaching the Word of God to him as a deliberate attempt to upset him. The last time I tried to correct him for a certain anomaly, he quipped; What is your own? This is my life, allow me to live it the way I want. Hmmm, but then, I was taken aback as I wondered who or what made him think he has any life and that he is the one that sets the standard of how to live the life.


Emeka belonged to the class of the people the bible says their minds have been blinded by the devil that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine unto them— 2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV. He may not know or probably has forgotten that no man lives to himself and no man dies to himself. That it is appointed unto man to die once and after death, judgement  is immaterial, but what is paramount to him is the 'NOW' thing. For him, he is so much in a hurry to avail himself of all that this present world offers.

Nonetheless,  Emeka's position will neither thwart nor change or defer what the owner of the life that we live has ordained before the foundation of the earth; for He that will come will surely come and will not tarry as the scripture says.


We are mere stewards and everyone of us will one day stand before our righteous God to give account of the rare privileges and opportunities he has given us; The Wealth, the Fame, the Children, the Power, the Excellent Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding he has so much lavished on us for service to him and humanity. Yes, we must give account of how we managed or mismanaged them.

God's righteousness demands that he must surely reward the righteous, he is so righteous that he will never acquit those that will willingly choose to damn him and his Son Jesus Christ. 'For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse...' Romans 1:20 KJV

Some years ago, when I was in Togo, I remembered discussing with one of my neighbors and he asked me, Mr William,  this 'Christ Christ' you always talk about, since I was born I have been hearing that Jesus is coming soon, so also did my father and his forefathers before him, so will I also live and die without him ever coming. I was quick to reply him that the scripture has already provided the answer to this mockery as he belonged to the group that believed that the Second Coming of Christ is a mere illusion. 'Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation— 2 Peter 3:3-4 KJV.

The bottom line of the whole matter is, '...This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven'— Acts 1:11 KJV. This time around, not as a lamb to the slaughter or a dumb sheep before her shearers but as the Judge of the Great White Throne before whom both the great and small, the rich and the poor and, of course, the weak and the strong will appear.

BEHOLD, THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH! Occupy Till He Comes.

Remain Blessed!