Spiritual Maturity Through the Valleys

I decided to share this little poem which I found in the devotional “Springs in the Valley” because back in the days, when I was losing everything that I possessed, Jeremiah 29:11 was one of my favorite verses.

 “'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

My understanding of the verse was so far from God’s intention. I could not even imagine that the calamity that my life had become was God’s plan for my welfare, to give me a future and a hope.

I also like the fact that, even though the writer has long passed away and was born in the 1800 era, God’s way has never changed. More than a century down the road, her life experience was about dark days, surrender and abiding life. Because this has been my path for so many years now, the poem is encouraging for the reason that, sometimes it is not easy to follow after God. Through my journey with Him, I learned that those verses of the Bible are not there to make my life easier and more comfortable. As I let Him do His work in me, He is able to get rid of my corrupted view and understanding.

At the end of the day, even though it is a hard life that God has put me on, I will cherish it and rejoice in the pain the sufferings and all the lost that I have incurred. Through the hardships and His teaching, I learned the difference between mature Christians vis a vis God and mature Christians vis a vis man. Spiritual maturity is acquired through learning to persevere when the shadows in the deep valleys never end. It is acquired when you truly learn from Him how to live this life with Him alone as your hope and there is nothing else left to hang on to, except the hope of this life in Him. It is also acquired, when we learn to abide there, at His feet, in a life of surrender and oneness. As He infuses your soul with His character, you cannot help but rejoice in the suffering because your soul can see the beauty that is being produced in you. A mature Christian is one that is established, strengthened and settled and it is forged mainly from the valleys of this journey.  

Poem From: -Freda Hanbury Alle
"The love of God a perfect planIs planning now for thee,It holds a "future and a hope,"Which yet thou canst not see. Though for a season, in the dark,He asks thy perfect trust,E'en that thou in surrender "layThy treasure in the dust," Yet He is planning all the while,Unerringly He guidesThe life of him, who holds His willMore dear than all besides. Trust were not trust if thou couldst seeThe ending of the way,Nor couldst thou learn His songs by night,Were life one radiant day. Amid the shadows here He worksThe plan designed above,"A future and a hope" for theeIn His exceeding love. "A future"-- abiding fruit,With loving kindness crowned;"A hope"-- which shall thine own transcend,As Heaven the earth around. Though veiled as yet, one day thine eyesShall see His plan unfold,And clouds that darkened once the pathShall shine with Heaven's gold. Enriched to all eternityThe steadfast soul shall stand,That, "unoffended", trusted HimWho all life's pathway planned. I have an heritage of bliss,Which yet I may not see;The Hand that bled to make it mine,Is keeping it for me." -Freda Hanbury Alle

Self Righteous Judgment vs Righteous Judgement!

When I was younger in the faith and since I had no idea what it meant to walk in the Spirit, I kept going around being myself. I was judged harshly. But, although these people were judging my behaviour, i.e I laughed too hard, not “compose” enough, not good being divorce and single in the Church, etc. I don’t know how to explain it, but there was something about me that God must have put there to help me see that they were judging me to either feel better about themselves. The older Christians judged because they were so settled in their ways they took their interpretation of the word of God for being right, as such I was wrong in their sight. Somehow, even though I had great respect for my elders, teachers, and all who decided to lead me. Strangely, I knew in my heart that the majority of them were no different from the unbelievers I was dealing with at work. I knew it was mainly external and that they have learned to control their behavior. Someone even said to me, “When you are here or in any Christian functions, remember, people are watching” This came from someone who wanted to be friend with me and knew how much people were talking about me behind my back.

Because this person was a Christian much longer than I, and was respected by the leaders, I took the advice with humility, promising to try harder. As time went by, I realized, the difference between me and majority of my brothers and sisters in my Church were that I stood out, because of my refusal to wear a mask. It was important to me not to wear a mask when I was in the Church, because I felt, if I had to wear one among them, then what was the point of being Christian to begin with?  To me, it was like being in a hospital and acting as if you are not sick and in no need for a doctor.  

I was never bitter about it, but in my heart, I was hurt to see that I was judged so harshly, while I was really no different than those who were doing the judging. This went on for years, until I grew so dissatisfied with the kind of Christianity in all my surroundings, then I went directly to God, complained my heart out to Him, accusing Him of lying about Christianity and putting the bar so high that no one can reach it. (Funny how I was still making excuses for them) After I finished complaining, the Holy Spirit said sternly, “why don’t you surrender to me” I sort of stop and remain quiet just to make sure that I heard what I heard. He said again “surrender to me”. I finished my prayer time totally unsatisfied, at the same time, I was aware of something that somehow I felt in my heart, I did not want.

The point of this post is this, as Christians, when we are judged harshly we have a choice to make. We can harbour resentment against those who are judging us unfairly in their self-righteousness. We can retaliate, we can become bitter, let anger direct us, we can become arrogant and be as self-righteous as them or we can take it all in and go humbly to God with it.  What these people did not know about me is that deep inside, I knew I was not good, and I was craving to be like Christ. Because I did not have spiritual knowledge of the word of God and because I did not know Him yet, I did not understand that my craving was because I wanted to be like Him. I kept thinking that I wanted to be like our forefathers in the Bible who walked with Him. I could see there was a difference and I wanted that for me. So, even though I was hurt, but I focussed mainly on Christ without knowing it was the right attitude and response.  Remember, I was a babe in the faith and so stupid and clueless that I was cute. 

Years after that, God showed me how the majority of people in the Church, from top to bottom, are a perfect example of the Pharisees. He showed me how they have learned to interpret the word of God to coincide with their own prejudices.  It was as if the Church was a theater and everybody was in character playing a role where they were bad at it, but they did not know because the critics were not out yet. It was cold and unrighteous. Yet, in appearance, that was not the Church I knew, in fact people love this Church because it seems to be so good externally, and so on fire for God. He showed me the lack of the Holy Spirit leading and so much more that I was overwhelmed. At times, I felt, I could live this life without ever knowing those things. Furthermore, I kept feeling that I was not worthy of all those revelations about people who outranked me and their businesses.  But, while He started revealing the disobedience of my Church, He did not stop there. It was like teaching me how to diagnose the state of His Salvation, His plan and His Church, throughout the body of Christ, in North America, through His eyes.

The worst part of my training was when He decided to reveal His heart to me and how He is lamenting over His Church. There are no words to describe God’s lament for us. Here is how stupid I am, when I first experienced God wailing for the Church and wailing for what we have made of Salvation. I do not want to go through the whole thing with you because it is something between me and God and also too painful and hard to relieve out again. But when all was said and done and I was back to being myself, I first realized that I would never want to be amongst those people causing Him so much pain. So I made it a point that His purpose for my life, will be my purpose and nothing else would do. But I asked myself, why does He allow us to have so much power over Him? Since He is God, why doesn't He remove this part of Him that cause Him pain? I have grown so much more since that time and I know that God is God and feeling the pain for us is part of Him and cannot be removed. That in itself was a big lesson with Him where I learned to understand why God felt anger, love, wrath, mercy, and so on. They are all part of His holiness.

For few years in the wilderness, that’s what my education was based on. I came out with some big things that I learned. One, God does not wait to judge us with the same measure He promised we would be judged when we are hypocrites and self-righteous. He starts right here with those who are following Him wholeheartedly.  I bet you these people never thought for a moment that God would pronounce judgement on them, and use them to teach me about His Church lacking “Christ and the Holy Spirit” in everything. Secondly, when you are judged in any shape or form, whether it is righteous judgment or in self-righteousness, learn to recognize that God can use even unbelievers to teach you something about yourself. So, instead of digging your heels in who you are, until you become set in your ways that even the Holy Spirit could not make you budge, go to Him directly.  Do not lash out and resist the temptation to reciprocate while you are hurting. I was too stupid about the word of God and lack knowledge to pass judgment on the people judging me and I was not malicious enough to use the information that I knew about them wearing masks and controlling their behavior through the flesh. It turns out that God was training me through the gift of wisdom and godly discernment. The third thing I learned from this training, is that God was preparing me for my ministry, but in those days, I had no idea how to walk with God, let alone thinking that was a preparation for His purpose for me. You see, Ministry is not something that we do, but something that we are on the inside before it becomes external.

Another thing that I did not know is that, when we are self-righteous in the Church, most of us tend to see it as “our business.”  God revealed to me, that, it was not my business or their business, but our self-righteousness is “His business” so He can train anyone He wants to teach them “righteous judgment” to put their noses in God’s business and shake us out of our lethargy. I also learned that we might be on fire with our emotions for God, but spiritually speaking, lethargic. (Just like Paul used to be or the Pharisees). After all this training, I had no idea what to do with it and I even asked Him how He planned to use someone as stupid as me? At one point, I dreamed that He would change me overnight and make me someone eloquent and educated, which was my desires, not His. Instead, He told me He will not give me those desires of my heart because they were in the flesh, however He gave me the gift of boldness. I’ll tell you, if you knew me before, you would understand why the gift of boldness hit me like a bulldozer one day. That was 2012, when I started blogging. It has been quite a ride with God in teaching me how to let Him use me. In righteous judgment, we need to be right with God first, He trains us, and teaches us how to discern and give us the wisdom needed as He uses us. Mainly, we need to keep walking and living in the Spirit so that we do not judge others through our eyes and prejudices, but through His eyes alone.
 I will not split this post into two parts, however, I will not blog tomorrow to give you time to read.
In His Agape Love,

M.J

CHRIST THE BELIEVER'S LIFE

CHRIST THE BELIEVER'S LIFE

by Archibald Alexander

Jesus is the believer's life, because he has redeemed him from death. The sentence of death, eternal death, has gone forth against every sinner. "The wages of sin is death." "Cursed is everyone that continues not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." From this curse all believers are delivered by Christ, who endured the curse for them. To such "there is no condemnation;" and they are adapted into the family of God, and made heirs of eternal life. They stand completely justified on account of the perfect righteousness of their Surety. This exemption from death, and title to life, could in no other way be obtained than by Christ's making a sacrifice of his own precious life.

Christ is held forth as a Redeemer, and his great work as a redemption. The people redeemed are condemned criminals, who can be released in no other way than by the payment of a ransom. This Christ has paid, satisfying, by his "obedience unto death," both law and justice. Thus the believer has life, not by virtue of his own obedience, but only through Christ. His union with Christ gives him a title to the life which he has procured.

Again, Christ is the source of spiritual life to the believer. By nature all men are dead in trespasses and sins. Spiritual life was lost to the whole human race by the transgression of Adam. If there were only a spark of life left in the human soul, it might be nourished, and by assiduous culture, might grow to maturity. But in man's corrupt nature there dwells no good thing. All the thoughts and imaginations of his heart are "only evil continually." To introduce life into the depraved soul, as much requires the exertion of omnipotence as to create man at first. God, who caused light to shine out of darkness, must shine into the heart. By the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, whom Christ sends forth, the soul is united to Christ, and from him derives life. Just as the branch derives nutriment from the vine, so the believer receives from Christ, his spiritual head, vital influences, by which he lives. This communication of life is called regeneration, or the new birth. People who experience this change are "born of the Spirit," "born from above."

And as Christ is the author of this life in its commencement, so he is the cause of its preservation and growth. Every kind of life requires nourishment; and this spiritual principle, called by the apostle "the new man," must be fed. Christians are compared to "new-born babes," who naturally thirst for the pure milk of the word, that they may grow thereby. Their growth depends very much on their increase in knowledge; the word of God, therefore, is the means of the believer's advancement in the divine life. By the Spirit of Christ the word is made effectual; and Christ himself is the sum and substance of the word. The word testifies of him. The word exhibits Christ as "the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." As the body is supported and made to grow by bread, which is called "the staff of life," so Christ is "the bread that came down from heaven." The believer eats his flesh and drinks his blood, "not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith." "The flesh profits nothing." Christ guards against any gross interpretation of his words by saying, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Spiritual life cannot be nourished by flesh.

Another respect in which Christ is the life of the believer, is the resurrection of the body. "I am," says he, "the resurrection and the life." "He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." The bodies of believers are united to Christ as well as their souls. The saints do therefore wait and hope for "the redemption of the body," and they shall not be disappointed. For we "look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."

Finally, Christ will be the source of the believer's life through eternity. The union between Christ and his members shall never be dissolved. He will forever be the fountain from which their happiness flows. "He that has the Son, has life." "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." "And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." How emphatically may it then be said, that Christ is the believer's life. He is indeed "all in all." And they who have received the Lord Jesus, possess everything which they can really need. They are complete in him; for "of God, he is made unto them wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." "All things are theirs, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are theirs: and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's."

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