2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) tells us, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (brought us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
In Luke 10:20 (Amplified), Jesus said, "Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are enrolled in Heaven."
All who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, have their "names enrolled in Heaven." This is the greatest thing that can happen to any person. Even if you're a baby Christian, you're still part of God's family and have your name enrolled in Heaven. When we arrive in the Father's Home, we are "all one in Him." There might be baby Christians who will never get the chance to grow into mature Christians on earth, but others should be mature Christians already.
It's not only a matter of being grown up in Christ for our own sake, but in order to care for those who are not. Paul instructs those who are mature in the Word and faith, to show the babies in Christ, how to behave as Christians in Titus 2:1-15. Paul instructs the older, more mature women to teach the younger women, how to be wives and mothers in the faith. He also instructs the older men to train the younger men, in the faith.
This doesn't mean acting like dictators, but acting in love and maturity in the faith. Many teachers are given in today's churches, that have very little to do with growing up in the Lord. Some believe it matters little about how we believe, as long as we believe. This might be true, as far as our "getting to Heaven someday." Most of what we've been taught about the new creation, is for "when we get to Heaven," but in truth, as new creation people we have already reached the other side, in the spirit. Our mortal bodies aren't home with the Lord yet, but there's no need to exercise authority when we get there.
The things we've been learning, are for our growing and maturing here, on earth. The anointing to bring sons and daughters into salvation, is for here. The faith to lay hands on the sick, is for here. The power of prayer is for here. The training up of the Church, is for here and the authority for the believer, is for here. All these things are given for God's family to function on earth. Most of the things we're supposed to grow up into, are not so much for ourselves, but for leading others to God.
We can do little for the world, other than leading them to salvation, without maturity in Christ. Many have never learned about righteousness, faith, healing of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues or the Power of His Presence. Some believe they don't need these things, in order to get to Heaven and they are right. Most of these things are to demonstrate the glory and manifestation of God, to the unsaved masses.
For nearly two-thousand years, the Church has remained infants in Christ, but the Coming of the Lord is at hand and His glory is about to be revealed, in a manner the earth has never seen. I want to be ready to move, when He is ready to move. Once the glory is revealed, we won't have two-thousand years to mature, so we must be ready when He is ready. This is a time for training and growing into vessels, to be used by the Master.
Most of us have been primarily concerned with our family members (and we should be), but we must reach out to others too. Simply going to Church, isn't what we're all about, we can't miss out on what the Lord needs us to do. We've become like babies who need to be constantly entertained, in order to be content. One of the most urgent and important lessons we must learn, is how to hear the Voice of the Lord. When God speaks to us, He doesn't speak in generalities, but in the specifics of His Truth and Spirit. When God spoke to Noah about the Ark, He didn't say to "Build a boat," but He gave specific instructions concerning the dimensions, wood, and every part of it. If Noah didn't build the Ark according to God's instructions, then it would never has sustained the flood. When God spoke to Moses about the Tabernacle, He gave very specific instructions for it's construction. If Moses chose to ignore these instructions, then anyone who entered the wrong way, would have died.
When we pray, we pray in generalities, instead of specifics and send mixed messages to Heaven. We excuse praying in generalities, saying, "God knows what I mean." This isn't how Jesus taught us to pray. If you phoned my house and left out a number, then would that call go through? Relying on the operator to "know my number," doesn't work. God's Kingdom functions on specifics and not generalities. This is how Christians are supposed to pray and to teach others to pray.
We pray, "Thy will be done" and leave it at that. Did you notice that the Word says, "Jesus came to do His will?" It was God's will to heal, but He needed One that would "Do His will" here on earth. This is our most important role, as God's sons and daughters. We are to do His will on "earth as it is in Heaven." We know it's God's will to heal, because Jesus healed the people. Jesus commanded us to "Go into all the world and heal the sick." If it wasn't God's will, then Jesus would never have instructed us to do so. This is a part of our earthly ministry.
I've prayed general prayers that didn't work, but when I asked the Father why they didn't work, He gave me instructions that brought results. Once I prayed for an elderly person who suffered with arthritis in her hands. As I prayed for her hands to be healed, nothing happened. After seeking the Lord's guidance in this matter, He said that, "She required loosing and not healing", like Jesus loosed a woman in Luke 13. I returned to this woman and commanded that she be loosed from her infirmity. I watched as her hands immediately straightened, moving like they were supposed to. My specific prayer worked.
We've been afraid to trust God's Word, because we've seen or heard that, "It doesn't work." What might not work for one person, might work for another, because we didn't give specific instructions. The difference is walking in relationship, instead of religion. We are family and are to receive instructions from the Father, about what He wants done. No one can hear from God for you, all the time. We might be able to hear from Him, as we preach the Word to the Church, but this is a general Word for many people. To receive from what is preached to the Church and in order to operate in it, we need specific instructions. Both are good, but one is a faith that you can move on.
Jesus spoke about two houses that were built. One house was built on the sand, while the other was built on rock. Both were hit by a storm. The house built on sand fell, while the house built on rock did not. Jesus likened these to a "Doer of the Word" and a "Hearer of the Word." One heard in generalities, while the other heard specific instructions. The "Parable of the Sower" in Mark 4, says the same thing. One heard in general, while one person heard specifics.
Each person is responsible for "how he hears" and the amount of thought and study to what we "hear," is measured back to you, according to Mark 4. Every believer is responsible for what they hear and mature in the things of God. We are supposed to "have ears to hear." These are the ears of your spirit man, to hear spiritual Truths. Human ears don't hear spiritual things, but the eyes of our new creation spirit, "see" into the things of the spirit world.
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