SPIRITUAL MATURITY

It’s quite amazing to me how God works in our lives. Often, we do not recognize that He is at work. At times, we can or do look back and see how He was at work when, obnoxiously, we may have thought that it was our intelligence, wisdom, gifts, etc., that caused some beautiful thing to happen. We tend to pat ourselves on the back for our accomplishments, not fully giving the credit to the One who created us and gives us the ability and strength to do what we do.

Be this motherhood, fathering children, doing well in our careers, or simply helping someone in some way. Many of us also tag dollars to what proves we are successful or numbers of people we reach through our efforts. Even though these things count for something, without God in the mix, they are nothing.

Being used of God to help others become spiritually mature while I am in the process of becoming spiritually mature also amazes me. Granted, spiritual maturity is a lifelong process. All of us are at different levels, stages, or dimensions of our spiritual maturity. And even more amazing, we are more mature in some areas of life than in others. The danger in this is that we might think we are very mature all around because of some areas of spiritual maturity. That is, because of only some issues, attitudes or behaviors in which we have indeed “grown up.”

I am grateful that God has been working in me. When I say this, I say it through hindsight. Much of my spiritual maturity has come thorough some kind of pain, conflict, problem, issues, whatever term you choose to use. At the time, I could not see that He was doing some work in me. Whatever the situations that I was experiencing were more real to me than what God may have been trying to show me, teach me, or cleanse out of me.

As a result of life events and of trials, the anointing of God and the wisdom of God come through me in ways that super amaze me! Even though I have had the opportunity, and still do, to receive training and learn skills for helping others to receive emotional healing and/or become spiritually mature, God works through me for each person, couple, family or group in their situation in ways that I am often not cognizant of. My goal, however, is to yield to Him and allow His Spirit to have way as I am in the presence of others.

To the credit of the many exceptional churches, ministries, ministers, family and friends that I have had the opportunity to glean from, I have learned that spending time with God and in His Word, no matter what is going on in my life (or what is not that I wish was going on) is of utmost importance. So, as problems, etcetera, arise in my life, I spend time with God, I seek Him for comfort, for peace and for understanding. Through these “precious moments” He instills in me things that turn into spiritual maturity. He then uses these “revelations” or “new learnings” to share with others in a variety of ways, one being counseling and also, through writing or speaking.

Through all these words, what I am hoping you got is that for you to become spiritually mature (and remember, this is a lifelong training), you must spend time getting to know or better know God through prayer and the reading/revelation found in His Word (the Bible).

This is not a process that you can engage always alone. You will need others to help you along the way. Whether it is through church, ministries, ministers, family, and friends or even through counseling.

To become spiritually mature you need others. You need solo time with The Lord God and you need to learn from and interact with others. I hope and pray that you take this to heart and that in some way it helps you to be intentional about your spiritual maturity.

As an old friend of mine used to always say (Nancy Alcorn of Mercy Ministries of America), “so there you have it!”

Stairway to Heaven

EDNA

Last year, for Edna’s homecoming service announcement, Cousin Elaine posted a picture on Facebook of her with the notation “Stairway to Heaven.”  I immediately began to think about Michael Landon’s show “Highway to Heaven.” In the show he is an angel who has a human ex-cop working with him. As they travel along “the highway,” they are given assignments by God that they are to complete.

Their impact in a person’s life was always positive and uplifting, but definitely life changing. They had purpose for each assignment even though it wasn’t fully understood until they were involved in a person’s situation. The ex-cop was as human as human could be; doing all that he could to help through many blunders. He learned something through each assignment and grew spiritually as a result.

Well, those of us who really knew Edna, knew that she was a woman who took her daily life assignments very seriously. She considered them God-given and wanted to please Him and fulfill her reason for existence. She went out of her way to impact people with the love of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ; family, friends, neighbors, church members, and strangers.

She was human in her ways, like the ex-cop, not perfect, but purposeful. She was like an angel in how she reached out to so many people in so many different ways. She did in my life, and I am sure, many of yours, what God assigned her to do. She gave, whether it was time, effort, money or some material thing, she gave.

Edna rarely missed an opportunity to share the Gospel, teach something positive or have a friendly moment with a stranger.  She was always looking for ways to uplift and encourage someone in their walk with the Lord. And, she loved to pray.

She worked very hard at every job that she had because helping people to benefit or improve was always her goal. And she did it, one step at a time, a few people at a time, Backyard Bible’s studies, women’s meetings, and other ways, but she did it! She made impact for Christ.

She climbed the stairs to her heavenly destination while here on earth, and she made it! Though the last days were difficult and steep, physically speaking, she continued to smile at us and wave at us. She remembered that God was her Maker.

She determined to accomplish some “bucket list” desires even through her pain, then she went to be with Jesus. The song that she sends to us today, on her earth birthday, is that song “IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW,” By Don Moen. She is with the Lord! No more suffering, no more pain, she has achieved her heavenly gain. Standing tall and whole!

She was fast in her pace and she finished her race! She overcame. Can you picture her? Smiling and waving, full of joy, standing and laughing in the Presence of the Lord! HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDNA! We love and miss you!

There is a Time…

There is “a time to give up” according to the words written by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:6. Meaning ” to let go of” a particular thought, desire, expectation, relationship, etc. For whatever the reason, an active ingredient in walking by faith is yielding to the seasons and or timing of God. Recognizing this then choosing to yield to it are the “dying to self” activities that tend to hurt and are hard. It requires a growing sensitivity to the voice and nudgings of God.

Whatever is the season or time in each person’s life or each family, church, business, or ministry, God “makes everything beautiful in its time.” This is like Romans 8: 28 where it says, God turns all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.”

The thing that I (and we) must reconcile in our hearts is that God’s time is not like our time (2 Peter 3: 8) and His ways and His thoughts are not like ours (Isaiah 55: 8). What we expect and especially the way we expect what we expect to happen, is not always the way God planned it or purposed it. The timing of it may not come about in the time or season we hoped for or the exact way we thought.

But if we are to live our lives in the abundance that God promised in John 10:10, (unfortunately abundance doesn’t necessarily mean without problems) we must choose to believe that whatever God says will eventually come to pass. Not necessarily what we think should happen or what we desire in our human natural way of thinking.

“The rain and the snow come down from the
heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause grain to grow, producing seed for the
farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same
with My word (God speaking). I sent it out and it
always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want
it to, and it will prosper everywhere I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT)

How we choose to believe is by allowing God’s word to take effect in our hearts and lives plus renewing our minds to His word (reading it) so that we can have the mind of Christ (Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 2:16). And we cannot pick and choose what we think or someone told us is or isn’t God’s word. Everything written in the Bible from the Old Testament to the New Testament was from God as He inspired men that He chose to write it. (Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

When we do this we will live in peace and joy regardless of the events and tragedies that surround us; even when it hurts, even when we are mourning, even when we do not understand. That is because the Kingdom of God consists of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 55:12, Romans 14:17).

It’s a matter of perspective: the carnal/human mindset versus the God-like/spiritual mindset (read Romans 8:5-14). This is no easy task. It takes relationship with God through accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (the easy part) then daily developing that relationship by really getting to know Him.

Making relationship with God our priority leads us to a peace that passes all of our understanding ( Philippians 4:7) and a joy that gives us the strength to endure whatever we are facing (Nehemiah 8:10). This developing relationship with God enables us to live out this life on earth according to His plan for us individually with an eternal perspective instead of thinking that the world and this life on earth is “the best it is gonna get.”

God has a plan greater than our human minds can comprehend! Don’t be afraid to wrestle with God to get to the place He has chosen for you. Just don’t wrestle too long because no one knows the day or the hour for eternal life (versus eternal damnation) to come for you.

In loving memory of my dear and sweet sister and brother:

Dawn Bonita Generals Patterson
(January 28, 1969 – April 24, 2013)

Walter Leonard “Lenny” Caldwell
(September 15, 1961 – April 29, 2013)

And

Jennifer Caldwell (Niece, Keith’s wife)

Edna Mae Williams (aunt)

Get Moving!

“… Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch The Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians (problems, bondages, issues) you see today will never be seen again. The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14: 13b, 14 NLT

Whatever you are dealing with may be scary. But God says “don’t be afraid.” Why? Because “He Himself is fighting for you!” How do you see God? Is He big enough to handle your problem? Or must you try to figure a way to handle it? Is He God far away up in the sky not close enough to understand or touch what bothers you? No! He is God who is near to you and wants to take care of you and everything that concerns you. It just may not happen the way you want. Your fantasy about how life should be may have to bow to the real world and the True God whom through Jesus Christ took care of everything that can possibly bother or concern us. We have to choose to believe this then to walk it out. The amazing thing is that He Himself is walking it out with you and in ways incomprehensible to your finite mind! His Holy Spirit was sent to continually “be there” for you! For whatever you may be going through, believe it, receive it in your heart and mind; God has got you covered. “His banner over you is Love!” Our powerful God is Himself a Weapon working for you! The passage goes on to say that the problems (the Roz version 🙂 you are dealing with now, are going away and never to return! Can you picture that? Try to. It will help you turn your eyes to Jesus. Sometimes, though, we have to give our problems away. We have to decide to give them to God, to accept that Jesus already won the battle and the war for us and that we can move on. In the 15th verse the Lord actually says to Moses, “tell the people to get moving!” This could be spiritual, mental, emotional, geographical, or physical. For you, it could be one or more of these possibilities. Don’t just stand there! Do something! Make a move! It could be a prayer, a declaration, a change, restructure, a literal move, or a letting go of…. Your time is here. God is fighting this thing so you can let it go! And trust with full belief that He will turn it together for good! Lastly, He says, in all your doing and dealing with this problem “just stay calm.” Being calm is essential. One, it says that we are trusting God who is way bigger than our problem. Two, God knows the effect that stress has on the soul (mind, will & emotions) and the door that it opens to the enemy of our souls. It is important to recognize stress and make it stop! It’s on you. (PS I wrote a book, Stress Indication Test, to help you determine your stress level then to give you recommendations as to how to alleviate it.) God wants you to feel His Presence which is full of peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. He shows us how to live in righteousness to have that peace and joy. When we choose to believe, receive and walk out this truth, we can all proclaim together:
“This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in my eyes!” Matthew 12: 42b