Christian Writers Circle

Dietary Needs to Mature in Christ
by Judy Hitson

I Corinthians 3: 2 KJV 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.

As a review from my last writing, Maturity in Christ, the focus was on different aspects of the goal of our faith, the salvation of our soul, I Peter 1: 9 NIV. First, I asked what it meant to be mature in Christ and if you remembered how Paul wrote to the Corinthians about milk and meat, comparing spiritual food to the natural. We understand the natural; the Lord reveals a spiritual diet for us by His Spirit.

Let’s look at a parallel passage. I share the King James Version which the Lord spoke to me about nourishing the spirit and soul with milk and meat from His word. Hebrews 5: 12-14 KJV 12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For everyone that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Are your senses exercised to discern both good and evil?

As I think about answering that question, I thank the Lord for training me through exercises of daily Bible reading, prayer, Bible studies, Christian conferences and gatherings to discern good and evil. For example, it is good that I am convicted of sin with junk food and overeating. It brings me to confess my sin to the Lord and cry out for true repentance with this sin that so easily entangles me (Heb. 12:1). When young in the Lord, I read, More of Jesus, Less of Me by Joan Cavanaugh. One book review said, ….a book about relationship with Jesus Christ, and bringing glory to Him through eating as we should. It may help for me to read that again.

Our need for good food, for health and wellness, parallels the need for our spiritual health and wellness with the word of God and prayer by the Spirit. I have passion for God’s word and prayer, why do I struggle with poor food choices? I feel like Paul wrote in Romans 7 NIV :19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. :24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? :25 Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!

This word gives hope to overcome food idolatry and not consume food on my lust for sugars and starches. I will not give up but continue to give it over to the Lord.

Do you have a sin that easily entangles you?

May the following three-fold Holy Spirit punch, that the Lord revealed during my struggle, speak to your heart and help in struggle areas of your life:

1. 1 John 1: 9 NKJV If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2. 1 Thessalonians 1: 9b NIV you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.
3. 1 Peter 1: 9 NIV for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

   When I first heard the Lord speak these verses to me and saw each one was chapter one, verse nine, my spirit leaped. His kindness to lead me to repentance (Rom. 2: 4), His intimate love and care for me as His child was overwhelming. He knows I want to overcome this sin and He knows that I don’t want to stop eating foods I crave. How many times will I go around this mountain until I finally surrender to Him? A change is needed that only God can do through me. My prayer: Lord empower me to overcome food idolatry, eat the foods needful for my body, soul and spirit to be healthy, useful for Your kingdom and give You glory. Amen.

These are a few things the Lord spoke to me from His word regarding dietary needs to mature in Christ. Thank God He does not give up on us but teaches and trains us to follow Him.

Closing Prayer: Father help us trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to change us by His Spirit through confession and true repentance that results with a changed mind, changed heart and changed life in the natural and in the Spirit. Amen.

© 2015 by Judy Hitson. All Rights Reserved

 

 

Am I a Grumbler?

Growing in Christ

by Brenda D. Flowers

 

This year, I have been intentional about spending more time devoted to reading God’s Word. To grow in Christ in 2015, I knew in my heart the way to do that would be by starting my day in praise, thanksgiving and intimate time with my Lord, reading His story to me and listening to His voice of application.

When I was a little girl, I remember singing this children’s song at Sunday school: “The B-I-B-L-E, Yes, That’s the Book for me.” Just a few weeks ago those words and the melody of the song rose up in me as I was walking outside with my two grandsons. I recall singing the whole song for them and thinking more deeply about the words as I sang, “I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E.” I asked myself, “Am I standing alone on the word of God? Do I really trust God, His message and the many treasures of His Word?”

In 2015, I am reading through the Bible using a chronological Bible dated for this purpose. I am also participating weekly in a community Bible study (Bible Study Fellowship) currently focusing on Moses and the journey of the Israelites. As I have been digging deep into the Pentateuch, the books of the Bible written by Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I almost feel like I am reading the words of the Old Testament for the first time with any true understanding. In the past when I read Leviticus or Numbers, I tended to skim over many of the words and I certainly didn’t put any thought into God’s reason for having Moses record all the details of the building of the tabernacle, the ceremonial cleansings, the sacrifices, the numbering of the men eligible for battle, the ordering of the tribes, the importance of God’s glory being in the center of the camp, the repetitions, God’s provision and God’s holiness. I also had never truly paid attention to how much the people, supposedly the followers of God, grumbled or how ungrateful the people were in so many instances, often not long after God had provided miraculously for their needs.

I have been noticing more the consequences of the people’s grumbling. For example, when the twelve spies returned from their mission to inspect the Promised Land in preparation for the Israelites conquest of this land, ten of the twelve spies gave a negative fearful report, which ignited murmurings throughout the camps. Joshua and Caleb were the only spies who professed faith and belief that God would take care of the people and they would be victorious in moving forward to the land of milk and honey promised by the Lord. The consequence of the people’s grumbling and lack of trust in God, was great! The people had to wait forty years to enter the land that was meant to be theirs and all the grumblers died in the wilderness, never to experience the fullness of God’s glory in their lives.

As I have read the words of consequence from a holy loving God as recorded in these Old Testament Scriptures, I am challenged to ask myself, “Am I a grumbler in my personal life?” As an American citizen, born in such a blessed country at this special time in history for a reason, am I appreciative to God for the mission He has given me or am I a grumbler?”

To grow in maturity, I am purposing in my heart to focus on Jesus, my Savior, sent by Father God to rescue me. I know Him personally and am so thankful He is interceding for me and I know He is interceding right now for you. I want Jesus to know how thankful I am for His sacrifice on the cross for me. He was the sacrificial Lamb who took away my sins and the sins of all of mankind once and for all. He has provided a way for you and me to experience His presence in our lives daily. As I face life’s challenges which sometimes seem like giants in my land, I don’t want to profess or emphasize them to my family, friends or community, through words of complaints. I am so thankful there are many examples in God’s Word where God forgave the people when they repented and sought Him. I want to have a repentant heart, ready to face the unknown with confidence, knowing God is with me. I am learning more and more how much my words matter and how crucial it is for me to guard my thoughts and what I say.

God has His Kingdom promises for us, His children, as we are being matured to be His bride. To experience His promises, we must fully trust Him and not focus on the possible problems in our future. Let’s prepare together.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your Holy Bible. Thank You for its everlasting truths and for revealing Your great love to us. May we focus our eyes on You, Jesus, in 2015 and follow You in all Your ways for You are the way to righteousness and victorious living. It is in Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

 

© 2015 by Brenda Flowers. All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

 

O To Be Like Thee

by

Kathleen Shore

 

As I quiet myself in your presence, my Lord, I ask that you would reveal to me a portion of your heartbeat on the topic of our writing this year… “Maturity In Christ.”

~

And in the stillness with Him, I felt a wave of His love crash over me as I heard the old hymn being sung, “Nearer my God to thee, nearer to thee… Even though it be a cross, that raises me.”

Being born the youngest of four children, I’ve always had a hunger inside of me to be older. I grew in a condition of always feeling “not old enough” to participate in the things my siblings were doing. When I did become old enough, they had all moved on to something bigger and better.

But Father God had a plan to use my earthly experiences for His kingdom purpose. That is true for each of us, His children. Fashioned for His pleasure, Father wanted me to transfer this earthly feeling into a kingdom longing to be more like Christ, willing to endure whatever He saw fit that would produce a maturity in Christ.

I’ll never forget one particular day some 20 years ago, when Father healed and strengthened me with a grain of sand thought He had when He formed and fashioned me.

I was dealing with the typical difficulties of early-married life that comes from two people being joined together as one, yet are still struggling with self-centered behavior. While tending to my household duties and feeling quite mundane, a childhood remembrance flashed through my mind. Little did I realize at first that God had brought it to the surface of my memory so that He could speak to me…. at just the right moment.

Father reminded me of the desire I had in high school to run long distance on the track team. As I pondered the remembrance, I was still a bit in awe of the ability to train your body to go beyond the pain of the circumstance and finish a race; the stamina and self-control it took to put aside the way you might “feel” and simply keep going.

Like viewing a short film in front of my eyes, I stopped what I was doing to take in what God was processing in me.

I recalled deciding to give the track team a try, pacing myself to allow my body time to adjust and attain the skill I idolized. Then, I remembered letting go of it…. followed by a mocking spirit from the enemy’s pointing finger amidst the conclusion that I just wasn’t cut out for it.

Like a typical teenager, I moved on quickly with all the other good things that were going on at the time. But it was for this precise moment, some 10 years after the experience, that God wanted His powerful purpose and timing to intersect.

With dusting pledge in one hand and coffee in the other, I sat down in the middle of the floor. As I felt Abba’s arms come around me, He whispered, “I made you to be a long distance runner in the spirit….” Oh my friend, His thoughts and spoken words are so transforming!

In the midst of feeling worn out from the rough terrain in my new journey of marriage, God had brought me right to this moment to speak clearly, a grain of sand thought. With one breath of holy oxygen into my spirit woman, He took the scalpel of truth in His hand that skillfully divided my soul from my spirit, and silenced my “feelings.” And right out of an earthly desire He focused me on His kingdom purpose…. that He designed me to be a long distance runner in the spirit.

It was God Himself who gave me the desire back in high school to be a long distance runner and my same loving Father God who withheld my ability to achieve it! It was the enemy however, who wanted me to buy into the counterfeit of that desire, attain it in the natural, and then shame me for not making the mark, in hopes that I would never catch on to the all powerful truth my Father spoke of me for His kingdom use and display of Himself.

Father was training my spirit legs to stay right with Him in this new found mystery called marriage and strengthening me to stand. And when I felt I had done all to stand, I was to stand some more and finish the race He had marked out for me.

I wept with joy and thanksgiving that I had failed to achieve in the natural the self-glorifying skill of what I had once idolized. Because it would have stolen the true kingdom treasure hidden in the darkness of the circumstance.

I felt God’s power come over me for the unknown journey ahead in my marriage as the enemy shriveled back in fear of the transformation that had just birthed new life in me through that moment with my Lord. All that I had wanted to attain in the natural was now a powerful tool for what I was called to live out in my spirit woman.

Our earthly circumstances are to bring us to new heights in Him…”His Way,” and likeness of character to be produced through that which pains and perplexes us, all the while He is proving His love and faithfulness to us with a steadfast hold within.

But this can only take place if we are willing to see God’s eye view in all things. As we learn to behold Him and what He is up to in our earthly condition of being “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed” the power of His transforming work to become more like Him will arise as our only want, our one desire, our true reward.

© 2015 by Kathleen Shore. All Rights Reserved

* Verses for exploration:

Ephesians 4:6

Isaiah 45:3

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

 

No Longer a Blank Page
Journaling to Intimacy
by Brenda D. Flowers

A blank page

A willing listener

Focusing on my Savior

Ready to receive His words

Anticipating direction.

Stilling myself

My body and my mind

Taking my attention away from

Worries, fears and my solutions

I wait.

I thank you, my God,

For the blank page and this new day

Preconceptions flee

As I turn fully

To You.

O quiet time,

Precious morning time

With My Savior and Lord

Is treasured

Beyond words

The page still blank

My mind is at rest

My heart is full

My hope is renewed

Ready now

I write Your words

Only what You say

I wait some more

Praise comes forth

Thank you.

Sweet time with You

Minutes of pleasure

Glorious delight arises

Feeling Your presence,

My Love.

Direction for the day

Comes smoothly

As Holy Spirit speaks

Comfort and grace

Love words.

I write now

Quickly and excitedly

Knowing new truths

Refreshing words

Pour out.

Thank You again.

I stop to read.

My heart is touched.

I have experienced anew,

True intimacy.

 

© 2015 by Brenda Flowers. All Rights Reserved

Prelude by Judy Hitson

Join us in the Christian Writers Circle as we delve into the topic of maturity in Christ during 2015. Take to heart different facets that spark your attention. May God bless you with revelation and understanding for your personal walk with Christ. Let us press on to know Him and grow to full measure. As we read the Bible and apply it to our life, we are reminded of our need of the Holy Spirit. I think of Henry Blackaby’s words in his study, Experiencing God, “God calls us to things only God can do.” Let’s keep that in mind, draw near to the Lord and mature in our faith.

Maturity in Christ

by Judy Hitson

1 Peter 1: 9 NIV for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

What does it mean to be mature in Christ?

Do you remember how Paul wrote to the Corinthians about milk and meat of the word?           (I Cor. 3: 2 NKJV). He compares the spiritual to the natural. A babe in Christ drinks milk and matures to eat meat like a child does with a daily diet through the maturing process. We understand the natural; the Lord reveals a spiritual diet by the Spirit for us. We will look into this with other Bible passages this year.

Have you considered the salvation of your soul regarding your mind, will and emotions?

As Christians, we may talk about being born again, about our conversion experience or being Spirit filled. It is vital to know Christ by His Spirit who gives life, John 6: 63; 2 Cor. 3: 6, and grow in Christ from a babe to maturity. We experience the indwelling of God’s Spirit in our spirit to the transformation of our mind, will and emotions as we surrender ourselves to Jesus Christ.

What does it look like?

I ask, Do others see Jesus in you? That is what it looks like to be mature in Christ. It is Christ in you the hope of glory, the mystery revealed, Col. 1: 27.  It may sound simplistic but there is a depth we learn as we grow in the Spirit and give glory to Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God.

How is your thought life?

Phil. 4: 8 explains the things we are to think on. I remember with Precept Ministries International, Kay Arthur taught us to frisk our thoughts with Philippians 4: 8. It is a good spiritual exercise. If you struggle with your thought life, perhaps this would be a good exercise for your spirit and soul. God tells us in this verse through Paul, eight things to think on.      Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,      whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent      or praiseworthy — think about such things. Philippians 4: 8 NIV  

Do you have the will to mature in Christ?

Jesus Christ is the only standard for our Christian faith. He has given us a free will to make choices, right or wrong. He will guide us by His Spirit to maturity as we are willing to follow Him. That is to the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls.

The Daughter of the King

By Cathy Robinson

 

I was feeling kind of homesick

As I walked the dusty road

longing for America

while deep in Mexico

 

My senses were assaulted

By sights and sounds and smells

Where was the God of heaven

In this place that felt like hell?

 

What had I been thinking

As I flew here on the plane?

Once I left this wretched desert

The people would remain!

 

Then sadness overwhelmed me

I hadn’t much to give

Lord, I should have sent my money

Just to help these people live!

 

I can’t make a difference, God

I may as well go home

In the mass of empty faces

I felt helpless and alone

 

But in that desperate moment

I heard His still, small voice

“I sent you here on my behalf,

Now you must make a choice,”

 

“You can change your mind,

You can leave right now,

Or you can do what I have asked

And I will show you how!”

 

I was humbled by the option

So I set my face like flint

I would be His feet and hands

And I was honored to be sent!

 

And that was when I spotted

A head full of curls

As I peered through the tumbleweed,

I saw the little girl

 

Who was this little chica?

And who had left their daughter

To live in the deep end

Of a pool that had no water?

 

 

 

Her needs were plain and simple

Yet her needs were all she had

I had never seen a face so young

That looked so tired and sad.

 

“Hola, Preciosa

Que haces tu aquí?”

“I can’t find my mommy,

Will you be her for me?”

 

Inside my soul that instant

I cried a thousand tears

But God held back the floodgate

Although my heart was pierced

 

I saw her through His eyes

And I loved her more than life

As I picked her up and hugged her

She gave a little smile

 

Then I held her in my arms

As we walked through the night

Until we found the children’s home

Oh, what a blessed sight!

 

Rancho Los Amigos

Would be a haven to this girl

And hundreds more just like her

In a hard, uncertain world

 

And that precious little chica?

Well, she is now eighteen

And the light that shines within her

Is amazing to be seen!

 

And now she goes with confidence

Into her destiny

For she knows that she’s no orphan

She’s the daughter of the King!

 

Yielding

Maturing in Christ

by Brenda D. Flowers

As I was praying about writing on our new topic of maturing in Christ, I sat still with my journal and pen in hand, waiting to hear what God wanted me to write. The word, yielding, captured my attention.

When we first become Christians, there is definitely a yielding which must take place. We come to a point in our lives when we realize we are sinners in need of a Savior. Often, we cry out because we feel so lost, alone or helpless. God is a faithful father. He loves us so much, He allows us to go through life experiences which help us see our need for Him. It may even seem like He doesn’t exist or He is no where near.

Before our time of yielding, we lived our lives like entitled children, demanding our own ways, often seeking the pleasures of this world, not thinking of God or others. Recently, I watched my two young grandsons, ages 4 and 2, fighting over a toy they both wanted to play with at the same time. They were surrounded by other toys and yet they put all their energy and focus on that one toy. “Mine” “Give it to me.”  Their grabbing and pushing went on for a few minutes, until finally I stopped them to show them how they could each have a turn with the toy. I took that toy away from them for a few minutes with the promise that they would each get a turn after a time of quiet and no more fussing. They weren’t happy during the period of time when the toy was removed. After a few minutes, which seemed so long to them, my older grandson said, “I’m sorry.” When the designated time had passed, they played with love and laughter and I happily played with them.

I remember, before I became a Christian, there was a time in my life when I felt all alone, like nothing was going “my” way, and even when I prayed God was quiet. Yet I realize now, He was watching over me the whole time. He was waiting until my heart was softened enough to receive the seed, the gift, He had to share. My heart had to be prepared and yielded to the reality that Jesus Christ was the sacrificial Lamb who had died to take away all of my sins.

A couple of meanings of yield are: to give up or surrender. When we yield our hearts to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are surrendering our will to God’s will. As we grow in maturity we are to daily yield our will, seeking God’s will. This year, the words of the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus shared as the way we should pray, have meant more and more to me.  On January 21^st, I celebrated 37 years as a Christian. As I have walked this life journey toward maturity in Christ, I have realized more and more the power of God’s Words and the life in the message of the Bible.

While saying the Lord’s Prayer, we say these words, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Many Christians routinely say these words each week during a Sunday service or a Wednesday night service, without even thinking about what they are saying. That is what I did for many years. I recited those words without really yielding to the meaning or The Power within those words. Yet, there is much more to the Lord’s Prayer which I am just beginning to understand. One big aspect of this prayer is having a heart of praise, honoring a Holy God in humbleness. Jesus modeled this for us. Other key messages hidden in the words are the importance of daily hearing from God and totally having a transformed heart full of love and forgiveness, confessing our sins daily before going out into the world. God wants us to be aware of our true enemy’s tactics and to grow in wisdom. As we seek God’s will, we do experience deliverance.

In 2015, I believe God is revealing His Kingdom to mature sons and daughters of the King of kings who are ready to be living ambassadors for Him, reflecting His Glory, so people may see His great love and His great power to overcome. As we mature, we learn the importance of yielding, giving honor to whom it is due. As mature Christians, we will want to give God the glory for the great things He has done and will do through us.

Our lives are our testimony of maturity in Christ, by what we say and what we do. I am challenged by this revelation. I am learning how important it is for me to start my day with praise and thanksgiving to God. He is teaching me how to trust Him more and more each day. I am learning to yield to Him, by giving Him all my worries and cares, trusting Him with my whole heart, leaning not to my own understanding.  God wants me to yield to His ways in full obedience. Often I revert back to trying to take control of my life, but He wants me to give Him full trust and control.

Yielding as a mature Christian should be more like breathing, daily breathing in His presence and His wisdom by His Holy Spirit. We should be living and walking in oneness with Him. His Presence fully functioning in me is an amazing revelation of maturity in Christ.

God’s promises are true. There are many promises in the Bible regarding the blessings a fully yielded mature Christian will experience. We shall yield the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22 & 23)

Yet, the journey on the path to maturity in Christ is full of challenges and even chastenings. My thoughts return again to what a loving father God is. His Word says in Hebrews 12 verses 7-11 NKJV: 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 but if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Lord, my prayer is that we, who have read these words, may take them to heart. We don’t want to behave like illegitimate children or ungrateful children. This year, we sincerely want to grow in maturity in Christ, learning to overcome the world as we experience His life alive in us.

As we speak and share God’s words, we truly are planting seeds which will someday yield a harvest.