Tag Archives: maturity

The Upper Pond

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A man was very thirsty when he came upon a small pond.  There was an old man sitting by the side of the pond sipping a glass of water.

The man knew the water was safe, for the old man was in fine shape.  So he bent down to take a handful of water to his mouth.

“I wouldn’t drink that if I were you.”  The old man said.  Startled, the man threw the water back into the pond.  He looked at the old man with squinty eyes.

“Where’d you get the water you’re drinking?”  The man’s voice had a twinge of greed.  The old man just peered up under the brim of his hat.  “I got it from the pond.”  Was the slow and level response.

“Do you own this pond?”   The man asked.  “Nope.  I got directions here.”   Now the thirsty man was a bit perplexed.  “This ain’t your pond.  But you can sit there and drink the water while I dehydrate to death?  This is crazy!”

“Son, there is a pond for strangers at the bottom of the hill.  You can drink till you explode down there.  The water here is poisoned.”   The man gave the old man a sidewards glance.  “If its poisoned,  how come you ain’t dead?”

The old man stretched a bit, like he was remembering a fond moment.  “I got a bag of healing powder from the guy who owns this place.  That’s why I can drink this here water.  But you better not son.”

The thirsty man would have stood there to argue, but he was far too thirsty.  So he gave a dry spit toward the old man and started down the hill.

He heard the old man mutter, “Pride. . . You’ll be back boy.  Somebody thirsty as you is bound to meet the owner of this place.”  Not understanding what he meant, the thirsty man just kept going.

By His Grace

Steps to Christian Maturity

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5 “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1)

Curiously enough, I have found personally, that the order of these qualities can be trusted.  Attempt the last one first and you will find yourself in error. 

Maturity in Christ begins with faith filled repentance, and finds its culmination in love.  It is written that the fear of the living God is the beginning of wisdom.  It should be well noted the Godly love is dispensed in Godly wisdom.

By His Grace

Love Doesn’t Hyde (pun intended)

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The gospel of Christ Jesus is far more than to simply say, “God is love”.  The proverbial “Kum-by-ya” stuff isn’t the whole story. The gospel of Christ Jesus requires us to prove it.

In case I’m misunderstood, which is highly likely, let me take a minute to explain please.

How many people do you know have said, “God is love”, but there’s no apparent change in their life?   And whatever change there might be lacks the rich and bold testimony of words.

If you examine their testimony, you would believe that the gospel asks nothing more of us than to admit that God is love.  But we know that isn’t true.

The cynic will point out their failure to believe.  He would accuse such people of being traitors to the cross.  Many times the cynic is not wrong.

But there’s another reason why people don’t “do” the gospel.  For the other reason, I gotta set it up.

No matter which way I turn I’m going to offend somebody.  After all this is a problem here, so there is then a fault.   So if this other reason offends somebody, that’s just going to have to be too bad.

We say the gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives.  But apparently there’s not enough proof available.  I mean, we’ve got 20 million Christians in America (a number I just pulled out of my hat), and only about 5 million, are head over heels in love with Christ Jesus (another hat number).  So the examples of proof that the gospel changes lives are relatively few.  Not to mention that the changes we do see are somewhat minor.  Many changed Christian lives could be generated by laying on a psychiatrist’s couch. And isn’t that often literally the case?

Now this gets kind of sticky from here on out. 

But there are a lot of marginal Christians.  I don’t mean to say they’re not Christians.  And I don’t mean to say that they are new Christians.  They are Christians who just can’t seem to find the fire to do the whole gospel.

They know what the gospel says.  But apparently they just don’t care.  They only see the gospel as a self changing idealistic notion.  They may live a lot better than they did before they knew the gospel.  But sadly that seems to be enough for them.

What about all the other people that are looking for someone to say, “Hey this works”?  I’m not talking about pastors and preachers and teachers, in that they should say this!  But that the average Joe ought to jump in and provide the proof.

Look, let’s nail this down.  A hero is a hero because he does the stuff the average guy can’t do.  The entire world has a whole basket full of heroes.  That’s proof to me that they want somebody who can do the stuff the average Joe can’t do.

So come on average Joe Christian, why don’t you stop using the gospel for your own selfish interests, and start doing it so that you can be a hero for those who are looking for the truth.

Where is the love of God if we don’t dig in and prove that the gospel works?  How do we love our brother if we hide the efficacy of God’s love?

You know the gospel.  You know the heavy duty demands it has on anyone who calls on the name of Christ.  If you don’t obey God for yourself, do you think you might find the energy to do it for someone else?

You can pass this article around if you’d like to.  Or you could rewrite the concepts in your own words.  It really doesn’t matter.

But the way I see it, if we go on the hunt for a few who will turn into heroes, and find them, Christ wins!  The hungry win.  The world is put to shame.  And the church gets stronger.

How do we know there isn’t some selfish little guy out there, who after reading this becomes the next Spurgeon, Dwight l. moody, CS Lewis, Billy Graham, or (pick your Christian hero)?

By His Grace

Amazing Wisdom of God

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Wisely, God has established that the gift of language should come to us long after our birth.  Lest angry words of frustration and anxiety begin the journal of our testimony.

Rather, we are blessed with noises obscure, until we learn to ask questions.  Does this wisdom really change with our years?  Or does man perceive himself more than he can possibly be?

By His Grace

“Scare Me Daddy!”

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If it were a game (This war between heaven and hell that resides in the soul),  the startled response of men would touch the humorous bone.   Their reaction to the truth of God in Christ Jesus (The rejection of the gospel among men), would be funny.  The fearful look on their faces is often a caricature of humor.

As if the game that fathers and children love to play, “I want you to scare me daddy, so I can laugh at fear”.  What delight there is in giving.  What solace there is in receiving.  A game of loving kindness dressed in terror.

But this is no game my friend, and I am not enheartened by their fear.  This is no joke.  This is no game: “The one who sins will die”.  The terror on a soldier’s face, as the sounds of battle approach, is not funny.

This Father, The Holy One, will not allow the fear of death to be swept aside.   His Holy demands stand strong, and eternally serious.  There is acceptance, yes.  But there is also a rejection at His Holy Throne!  Just as they are enthralled with his Beauty, that very moment of His unveiling, the fear of death shakes their soul to blackness.

There will be no laughter at failure.  Rejection is void of humor. 

Though we are children, He addresses us as men and women; fully grown and able to comprehend.  When we were children, we played such games to prepare for this very war! 

As you laid aside your toys, now let us take seriously the truth God offers.  Let us perform the old saying, “Grow up”.  As you entered into adulthood, now let us enter into sobriety.  It is certainly the natural progression of things.

The game of “Scare me daddy” is long gone.  May the fear of God assail our frail hearts.  The game prepared you to trust, despite your fear.  Now employ your learning.

By His Grace

Awareness

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They call me a man, and among them, yes I am.

But that is not the sum of my name.

For there are those who were, long before I was,

and they have been faithful to remain.

God is first and God is last,

all else falls to and fro.

Among the throng I do belong;

But a child, and from below.

——–

Ancient ages past have seen

The Faithful do His will.

Though in your sight maturity’s mine,

A child I was, and still.

The pride of man: “I’ve grown enough;

I’ve conquered all I have.

Respect me now for I’ve become.

Yes, I’ve become a man!”

——

And He said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”