THE INNER ROOM - "Learn and Grow - to Maturity". Please read the 1st Post.

[SweetSurrender]

Thanx for your post, Smelly. That was good.

BM, I'd never understood those verses before, but put in this light of baptizm, it lit up in my spirit. I had to print it out. Thanx for that. Hugz, Bonnie

 

[Bondman]

BM, I'd never understood those verses before, but put in this light of baptizm, it lite up in my spirit. I had to print it out. Thanx for that. Hugz, Bonnie

Oh, that is so great, sweetie - there's sure some quite brilliant stuff in Romans!

I think maybe you can see from this why all my study of the Scriptures (not ABOUT the Scriptures, but actual study OF His Word - and I blame HIM *hehe*, cos it seems to have been HIS idea to start me on that back in 1957!) - why this study has put me into an attitude of sheer EXCITEMENT about what is there!! - such as how God is truly speaking personally to us through them, along with clearly revealing to us His wondrous truths! Woo-woo!!

- BM *excited!*

 

[Faithwoman]

Thank you so much all.
I got to thinking about it and it would be great to have my parents there as well as my kids, but honestly, I have put off so much other stuff in my life for others that I am just going to pray and do what I feel is really right. I am doing this for the Lord,, not others.

I got a call today from the chapel and they want to move it up to December 7th. They have to set up for their Christmas pageant which takes place on the 21st the week after the 14th. and they stated the manager goes over the baptistry area and it would make them a bit rushed to do that.

I will share my honest feelings about the changing of the date, and I hope I do not sound petty. But there is myself and two others that want to be baptized... so there is 3 of us for the 14th. .and they are concerned because they might have to rush a bit more to put up the stuff for the Christmas pageant? hmmm.. here is 3 believers who really want to dedicate their lives to the Lord on the 14th.. ok so do you see the thought I had in my mind?

I honestly do not know if the 7th would work, I need to check my calendar and such.. ok., so that was just my honest thoughts about that. am I being petty? please be honest with me as I know you all are.

Thanks for the scripture BM!

Faithwoman
PS Have I told you yet , how great it is to have you back to the IR?

 

[SweetSurrender]

Thank you so much all.
I got to thinking about it and it would be great to have my parents there as well as my kids, but honestly, I have put off so much other stuff in my life for others that I am just going to pray and do what I feel is really right. I am doing this for the Lord,, not others. So, please don't forget that, Robin.

I got a call today from the chapel and they want to move it up to December 7th. They have to set up for their Christmas pageant which takes place on the 21st the week after the 14th. and they stated the manager goes over the baptistry area and it would make them a bit rushed to do that. Robin, I've been involved in community plays and lots of stage hands put this special mat thing down over the original floor so they can paint on it, sometimes it's just canvas. After it's painted with brick, or false flooring, it's painted over with this white stuff that turns clear. Then the other props are put on top (for instance the manger), and if it is going to be placed over the baptisimal, I could see them using something like this. So that would be the very first thing to lay down to get painted and such. The other props would not be able to be worked on until that is done. And things have to get done in a certain amount of time, to leave time for delays like accidents. So, I can understand why it was changed to be earlier.

Anyway, satan is just bringing this up so there will be wrong attitudes and to be honest, it looks like it's working. He wants you to get your mind off of why you are getting Baptized in the first place and onto other, trivial things.

If you just go with the flow, and have a right attitude, God will take care of everything for you. You don't want your attitude to spoil your Baptism do you? I know, this is the perfect time because you listened to that still small voice that said "it's time", and it's in the perfect place, the chapel where you were saved. So, don't let the timing ruin things for ya. OK? Let God take care of everything that involves who is going to get to come, etc.

In fact, maybe you should anticipate that not everyone will be able to come, and have someone video tape it for you, in preparation of sending to anyone who couldn't come. You could even tape the sermon & singing for them. If no one came, you'd really have your mind on God wouldn't you?

Honey, believe me. It is just not worth sweating about. Chill out and let God to His will. It will turn out the way He wants it anyway if you just keep your mind on Him.

Just being honest! Hugz, Bonnie

 

[Faithwoman]

Wow! Great idea to have it videotaped! Never thought of that!
super idea

Your post was spot on! Thank you again so much!

Tonight I went to the local pregnancy crisis center to check that out.
It is a Christian based program. I met with the director. The Lord led me there for more than one reason! It was an unbelievable night! I must have bawled like a baby for about half hour. Her and I had an awesome conversation! I was so blessed! This purging the Lord is doing of my life sure is not easy, but I know so worth it. The lonliness I am feeling and the valley I am in feels really down pit if you know what I mean.. but the woman Tammy and I had great conversation, she had been through some similiar stuff in her life ie.. with HPV and such. Awesome testimony she had. I toured the facility afterwards. Unbelievable ministry going on there.
It is amazing how many HOMELESS teens there are in this little city!


So thank you again Sweets! your post was spot on!

Faithwoman~

 

[Bondman]

Wow! Great idea to have it videotaped! Never thought of that!
super idea

Your post was spot on! Thank you again so much!

Tonight I went to the local pregnancy crisis center to check that out.
It is a Christian based program. I met with the director. The Lord led me there for more than one reason! It was an unbelievable night! I must have bawled like a baby for about half hour. Her and I had an awesome conversation! I was so blessed! This purging the Lord is doing of my life sure is not easy, but I know so worth it. The lonliness I am feeling and the valley I am in feels really down pit if you know what I mean.. but the woman Tammy and I had great conversation, she had been through some similiar stuff in her life ie.. with HPV and such. Awesome testimony she had. I toured the facility afterwards. Unbelievable ministry going on there.
It is amazing how many HOMELESS teens there are in this little city!


So thank you again Sweets! your post was spot on!

Faithwoman~

Rather nice to have the record in any case! (I'm not sure I even have a pic of mine - but this was "back in the old days" *smile*)

So sorry you're feeling lonely and down, hon. We do have to go through periods like this, being part of our 'trials and tribulations' the the NT speaks of. Jesus said that we are not above our master, Luke 6:40 - he experienced such things, so we will too! However, please know that you're not alone in this - and that the day will come when you come out of the tunnel.

Praying for you!

- BM

 

[Bondman]

IMPORTANT TO SHARE!

From Faithwoman, received from the church where she previously lived. Obviously someone had visited the state of Orissa in India where the appalling persecution of Christians (by militant Hindus) has been taking place, as I've reported previously:

[FONT=times new roman, new york][FONT=times new roman, new york][FONT=times new roman, new york]Uncle please do pray for the persecution which going on in state called Orissa this month. I went to Orissa to meet some of the scattered pastors, due to the terrorists fear, who have had to run away to save their lives. [/FONT]
[FONT=times new roman, new york]We stayed with them for two days and when they were sharing testimonies and experience of their persecution we shed the tears and our hearts were moved. They lost everything. Some lost their wives and some of their children were slaughtered. [/FONT]
[FONT=times new roman, new york]Please do pray for them right now. They are in much sorrow and in need. Please do pray for them and tell the church to pray for them ok. [/FONT]
[FONT=times new roman, new york]Thanking you... Yours in His vineyard, [/FONT]
[FONT=times new roman, new york]Padma[/FONT]

[FONT=times new roman, new york]One of my serious prayers is for India's central Government to take action in Orissa, seeing the local officials have seemingly done little. India's Constitution guarantees religious freedom, but it's a large country of many people and different religions, with different state governments who have their own rules, sometimes contrary to India's Constitution!

Orissa has an unusually large number of Christians - from memory (so don't quote me please!) as high as 20% of the population. Now they are prey to religious bigots who have done incredible harm as you've read above! In many cases it will take the Christians years to regain normal life.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM ALL!!!

- BM

SEE ALSO "Martyrdom in 2008" and "Persecution of Christian Believers in Our Time"[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

 

[Bondman]

PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY​

MESSAGE #139

WE CAN - AND MUST! - BEAR FRUIT

I suppose that over the years one of the passages in the New Testament that I've loved and returned to so many times is the early part of John Ch 15:

1 I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.
Jesus starts this verse with I AM, just like God in the OT called Himself "I AM"! He says that He is the TRUE vine (so clearly there can be vines that are wrong, and even bad)!

2 Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.
We MUST be bearing fruit - else what happens? The Father cuts us off and TAKES US AWAY!! (Which is something I DO NOT WANT TO HAPPEN!!!)

What does Jesus mean by "fruit". Many would think this has to mean winning others to the Lord, but the fruit He's meaning that we MUST bear is Spiritual GROWTH in becoming more like Him, i.e., growth in righteousness (living right), and holiness (like God is Holy) and godliness (being like God).

Meantime however, provided we ARE continuing to bear fruit *whoo-hoo!!* here's what God does: He PRUNES us *yikes!* - cutting this bit off and that bit off!! But WHY? Cos by doing that we will bear MORE and BETTER fruit - even 'EXCELLENT' fruit!! (same as we may prune a plant to make it grow and flower better). Sounds good to me! Hmm, would you expect pruning bits off to, well, HURT? (indeed, yes!! - so please don't be surprised by those hardships in your life!)

3 You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you].
To his disciples Jesus says that because they've taken careful notice of His words, they are both pruned and cleansed. So there's a lesson: read and listen to what He says, and let His words really take root and LIVE in your heart, always!

4 Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.
Dwell means live. The KJV uses a lovely word instead of dwell: ABIDE. To 'abide' means to settle down and to just stay -relaxedly, i.e., TO JUST 'BE'!! Oh, my dear ones, our Master is saying to us, ABIDE IN ME. Stay close. Live in me. Settle down and just 'be'! Love it!!

So... ABIDE in Me, the Lord Jesus says, and - wow this is so amazing - I will abide in you! Can't get much closer to Jesus than that: I'm abiding (living) in HIM and He's abiding (living) in ME. That's the promise of One Who CANNOT LIE!!! So we are constantly and intimately CONNECTED - and TOGETHER!!!

With that settled, He issues a SERIOUS WARNING to each one of us: You simply CANNOT BEAR FRUIT unless you are ABIDING IN ME: utterly and literally connected to Jesus as our Vine!!

5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
Jesus is our Vine we've been grafted into. WE are the grafted branches of the Vine. We take ALL of our Spiritual nourishment from HIM!!

Whoever is living in Me while I am also living in him... what will happen? - we WILL bear piles of wonderful fruit!! So will this be 'hard', or 'easy'? Question: does a peach tree have to screw itself up and push, and huff and puff and carry on - so it can produce peaches? NO IT DOES NOT! And nor do we have to STRUGGLE and STRUGGLE to produce fruit! - as we live out His promises of us abiding in Him and He in us, WE WILL PRODUCE FRUIT!!! Expect it! Look for it! Wait patiently for it! Trust Him and trust His word!

Let's all ABIDE!!!

- BM, with his Love

MAY HE GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH​

AND GROW YOU TO MATURITY!​

​

 

[SweetSurrender]

Wow! Great idea to have it videotaped! Never thought of that!
super idea

Your post was spot on! Thank you again so much!

Tonight I went to the local pregnancy crisis center to check that out.
It is a Christian based program. I met with the director. The Lord led me there for more than one reason! It was an unbelievable night! I must have bawled like a baby for about half hour. Her and I had an awesome conversation! I was so blessed! This purging the Lord is doing of my life sure is not easy, but I know so worth it. The lonliness I am feeling and the valley I am in feels really down pit if you know what I mean.. but the woman Tammy and I had great conversation, she had been through some similiar stuff in her life ie.. with HPV and such. Awesome testimony she had. I toured the facility afterwards. Unbelievable ministry going on there.
It is amazing how many HOMELESS teens there are in this little city!


So thank you again Sweets! your post was spot on!

Faithwoman~

Thank you, Robin. I'm sorry you are going through a valley, but let me share something with you that I heard on the radio just the other day.

When you are on top of a mountan, the air is much thinner and it is harder to think and breath. Things like climbing higher are very taxing and wear you out every step of the way. But when you are in a valley, there is a whole lot of oxygen and you can breath better. It is very easy to go to God for guidance and help. I can't remember what all the benefits of living in the valley are, but I know it is a lot easier to breath than on a mountain top.

I'm sure if we never lived in a valley, we would not feel the need to seek God's face, and we actually would not even need Him. It's hard to go through, but it is our refiing and is necessary to grow. Will be praying for ya though. Keep the faith! Hugz, Bonnie

 

[SweetSurrender]

What a wonderful word that was, Bondman! It blessed me to read it. Like most others, I thought bearing fruit only meant winning souls to Christ. But, through this post, I can see clearly that it also means that others will see Christ in us if we are indeed letting Him change us into His likeness.

I just so desire to become more like Him so that others can see Him through me. I want to be His instrument if He will allow me to be used.

Keep on writing, BM. God uses you abundantly.

 

[Faithwoman]

However, please know that you're not alone in this - and that the day will come when you come out of the tunnel.

I sure hope the end of the tunnel is right around the corner!

And nor do we have to STRUGGLE and STUGGLE to produce fruit! - as we live out His promises of us abiding in Him and He in us, WE WILL PRODUCE FRUIT!!! Expect it! Look for it! Wait patiently for it! Trust Him and trust His word!

Man there is that darn word again.. patiently.. that is something I just have to ask and pray more for.
Honestly, someone said the other day, the closer we get to him, the harder it is..
I believe it is because of the pruning he is doing.
It is great to be pruned, but I am learning to trust in him.

I think one of the reasons right now that I may struggle a bit. is because winter is setting in, it gets dark quickly,
it is cold, and the holidays are right around the corner.
Shame on me for even thinking this way when we stop and read of folks oversees, such as Orissa.
Ok.. going to go get some comfy clothes on and chill out in his word.
Hugs
Faithwoman

 

[Bondman]

What a wonderful word that was, Bondman! It blessed me to read it. Like most others, I thought bearing fruit only meant winning souls to Christ. But, through this post, I can see clearly that it also means that others will see Christ in us if we are indeed letting Him change us into His likeness.

I just so desire to become more like Him so that others can see Him through me. I want to be His instrument if He will allow me to be used.

Keep on writing, BM. God uses you abundantly.

Thankyou, Sweets. The thought of becoming more and more like Him is exciting, isn't it! And He certainly will allow you to be His instrument!! (He's LONGING for us all to want to be used by Him)

Keep up your good work!

- BM

 

[Bondman]

I sure hope the end of the tunnel is right around the corner!



Man there is that darn word again.. patiently.. that is something I just have to ask and pray more for.
Honestly, someone said the other day, the closer we get to him, the harder it is..
I believe it is because of the pruning he is doing.
It is great to be pruned, but I am learning to trust in him.

I think one of the reasons right now that I may struggle a bit. is because winter is setting in, it gets dark quickly,
it is cold, and the holidays are right around the corner.
Shame on me for even thinking this way when we stop and read of folks oversees, such as Orissa.
Ok.. going to go get some comfy clothes on and chill out in his word.
Hugs
Faithwoman

Remember how patience is part of the Fruit of the Spirit - the Fruit basically a GIFT of the Lord to those of His children. You can certainly pray for this aspect of the Fruit to grow and grow and grow in you - and be PATIENT as you wait for Him to do this! *hee* (I often pair patience with 'self control' - cos we need this so we CAN be more patient).

The Scriptures say to: Wait patiently for the Lord, and to rest in Him.

I have a Message prepared entitled "Hardship - Bringing Us Toward Christian Maturity". I believe some of the things in it could be a great help to you (possibly it will be up tomorrow).

Keeping you in prayer, dear one! Meantime, just ABIDE in Jesus, even as He's abiding in YOU!

With much love,

- BM

 

[Faithwoman]

have a Message prepared entitled "Hardship - Bringing Us Toward Christian Maturity". I believe some of the things in it could be a great help to you (possibly it will be up tomorrow).

I will be waiting patiently...

Faithwoman

 

[Fluffy]

Does anyone know if the two thieves on either side of Jesus were nailed to the cross like Christ, or tied to the cross like pictures portray? And, why was Christ not to have any broken bones? Was there a reason for that besides it being prophesied that it would be that way?

I know this is a few pages back, and alot has been said since, but I wanted to say that my husband is of the belief that Jesus was the only one nailed to the cross.
Now where he got THAT idea, I dont know. But apparently, it is something taught. And not just to him.


Great stuff, ya'll! I have really been blessed this morning reading everything!
I, too, have been putting off being baptised. Goodness! I've been baptised 3 times already! You'd think it would have 'taken' eventually! But none of those times were when I was truly saved. Only got wet.

(edited due to hasty post without research, please ignore anything that WAS in this spot!)

The Romans broke the bones of the criminals to hasten death. Hanging by your wrists puts tremendous pressure on your chest and diaphram, making it difficult to breathe. They had to push up with their feet to be able to relieve the pressure. If your legs are broke, you cant do that, so they suffocate. Because Jesus was already dead, they did not have to break His legs.

 

[Bondman]

I will be waiting patiently...

Faithwoman

Okay!


This is a serious matter for you, as for many others, and I don't want to sound flippant about it. But the fact is that the Lord made both Beloved and I with a crazy sense of humour, and thus it occurred to me that:

you need to ask the Lord to help you to be patient,
in order to make it possible for you to wait patiently --
while He is organising to bring more PATIENCE into your life....*runs off and hides!*


I imagine you've heard the saying, "Lord I want patience - and I want it now!!

- BM (still hiding...)

 

[Bondman]

I know this is a few pages back, and alot has been said since, but I wanted to say that my husband is of the belief that Jesus was the only one nailed to the cross.
Now where he got THAT idea, I dont know. But apparently, it is something taught. And not just to him.


Great stuff, ya'll! I have really been blessed this morning reading everything!
I, too, have been putting off being baptised. Goodness! I've been baptised 3 times already! You'd think it would have 'taken' eventually! But none of those times were when I was truly saved. Only got wet.

Did ya'll know that part of the ceremony for ordaining a High Priest was having the candidate walk through a trough of water. It was so deep that his head went under as he walked through the middle. It symbolized getting clean. It was essentially a baptism. John the Baptist was next in line for the High Priesthood (legally) and Jesus was next after him. (tribe of Levi, after all!) Only a priest could baptise the High Priest. So after John the Baptist died, Jesus was literally the High Priest. Its just the Romans had other ideas. That's why people like Caiaphas were the High Priest, instead of someone from the legal bloodline.
Only the High Priest could do the sacrifices. Let that one sink in a minute. Jesus not only made the sacrifice, He WAS the sacrifice. But only the High Priest could do it. So when He gave up the spirit, and His body died, He was essentially 'killing' the sacrifice Himself. That is the importance of the unbroken bones.
The Romans broke the bones of the criminals to hasten death. Hanging by your wrists puts tremendous pressure on your chest and diaphram, making it difficult to breathe. They had to push up with their feet to be able to relieve the pressure. If your legs are broke, you cant do that, so they suffocate. Because Jesus was already dead, they did not have to break His legs.

Sorry for the mini-lecture, but this is one of my favorite subjects "Jesus, Our High Priest"!!

Hi, hon. We're always blessed when you 'drop in'!

The matter of crucifixion intending to kill you via asphixiation in the way Fluf described is quite horrendous, isn't it. Pushing up so you could get a precious breath gave you excruciating pain - but you had to do it if you wished to live!

Thus YOU were the one ADDING to your pain of already being nailed to a cross. Such amominable cruelty! It's plumb AWFUL to think about, but we must, so we really 'get' the horrific physical cost to Jesus to save you and me, as well as the much MORE massive spiritual cost. I bow my head in awe...


I've never heard about John the Baptist legally being the next high priest and Jesus after that. Do you know how we know this to be so?

Love ya!

- BM

 

[SweetSurrender]

So when He gave up the spirit, and His body died, He was essentially 'killing' the sacrifice Himself. That is the importance of the unbroken bones.
The Romans broke the bones of the criminals to hasten death. Hanging by your wrists puts tremendous pressure on your chest and diaphram, making it difficult to breathe. They had to push up with their feet to be able to relieve the pressure. If your legs are broke, you cant do that, so they suffocate. Because Jesus was already dead, they did not have to break His legs.

This is really interesting, Val. I'm sorry, but I just don't understand the importance of the unbroken bones being that He killed the sacrifice Himself. He became our sacrifice. I know that, but what does broken bones have to do with it?

Also, I didn't understand the thing about Jesus already being dead. They didn't have to break His legs because He was already dead? So, He died really soon after he was put up on the cross? I thought they'd probably break their legs before they put the cross up. I must be thick headed cause I really don't get it.

 

[Bondman]

So when He gave up the spirit, and His body died, He was essentially 'killing' the sacrifice Himself. That is the importance of the unbroken bones.
The Romans broke the bones of the criminals to hasten death. Hanging by your wrists puts tremendous pressure on your chest and diaphram, making it difficult to breathe. They had to push up with their feet to be able to relieve the pressure. If your legs are broke, you cant do that, so they suffocate. Because Jesus was already dead, they did not have to break His legs.

This is really interesting, Val. I'm sorry, but I just don't understand the importance of the unbroken bones being that He killed the sacrifice Himself. He became our sacrifice. I know that, but what does broken bones have to do with it?

Also, I didn't understand the thing about Jesus already being dead. They didn't have to break His legs because He was already dead? So, He died really soon after he was put up on the cross? I thought they'd probably break their legs before they put the cross up. I must be thick headed cause I really don't get it.

Jesus was our (perfect) Passover Lamb from the Old Testament. There are other verses in the OT speaking about not breaking the bones of the Passover Lamb, such as Exodus 12:40 and Numbers 9:12.

Yes, He did die much earlier than normal (though NOT 'really soon' after He was crucified), and one can put this early death down to the horrific trauma to Him of being SEPARATED from His Father for the first time EVER, because He was bearing ALL of the sins of the world in His body, and God turned His face away!! Also when Jesus DID die, it appears to have been His decision - thus He must have known at that time that He had perfectly and completely FULFILLED His task of PAYING FOR ALL OF OUR SINS SO WE COULD GO FREE FOREVER!! Which He has, Hallelujah!!!

The Romans would NEVER break the legbones prior to crucifixion. The whole point of the crucifixion was the pain and suffering of having to push up from your nailed feet with your legs in order to allow you to get a gulp of air into your screaming lungs (because hanging by the arms completely prevented you breathing!) Soon as you got that one life-saving breath, you'd necessarily lose strength and slump down again. And this torture was repeated over and over and over - for as long as a period of days!! After a certain time they'd finally break the legs, thus hastening your death by asphixiation. But Jesus died before this could be done.

 

[Bondman]

PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY​

MESSAGE #140

HARDSHIP - BRINGING US TOWARDS CHRISTIAN MATURIY

Wow, what a great post from Sweets!! I'm sure she won't mind me quoting from it:

"I'm sure if we never lived in a valley, we would not feel the need to seek God's face, and we actually would not even need Him."

What a powerful word!! 100% true!!! This is one of our MAJOR PROBLEMS of living in a rich Western country. Why don't people come to the Lord?? - cos they don't feel any need for Him! When's the time people will suddenly pray to God?? - when things have gone really, really wrong!

So why does God both allow and bring hardships into our lives - PURELY AND SIMPLY SO WE WILL FEEL A NEED FOR HIM!!! Thus the hardships are for our good! The ABSOLUTE AND ONLY WAY we can get away from the SIN and SELFISH ORIENTATION of our lives is GOD HIMSELF!!! - that is:

ONLY GOD BECOMING THE SPIRITUAL FOCUS OF OUR WHOLE LIFE CAN KNOCK OUT OUR SELF-FOCUS and thus our CONTINUED SINFULNESS!!!​

​

It's hard to go through, but it is our refining and is necessary to grow.

YES, ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!!! I guess it's gets down to, "Do I really, really, really WANT TO GROW AS A CHRISTIAN BELIEVER?" To grow to BE LIKE JESUS! To grow towards SCRIPTURAL MATURITY, so God can say to you:

"Well done, Brother, well done, Sister!!! In your Christian growth you have gone from BABY (where most still are), through CHILDHOOD, to being a TEENAGER - now to a FULLY FORMED, MATURE, ADULT SON/DAUGHTER OF MINE!!! WELCOME!!!​

​

It may come into your mind: Why haven't I heard a sermon on this? - could it be that my church leader/s are not MATURE in Christ themselves? In the passage below the writer to the Hebrews is commenting how those who've heard the Word are still dreadfully immature:

Hebrews Ch 5
12 For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food.
13 For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant[not able to talk yet]!
14 But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.

Please consider this: we arrive in heaven exactly at the state of spiritual growth that we died with! So it really is time for most of us to GET GOING!!! Thus I pray that God may bless you with a holy and godly desire to GROW towards nothing less than maturity in Christ!

Much love!

- BM and Mrs

MAY HE GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH​

AND GROW YOU TO -​

MATURITY!​

​