Thursday, March 14, 2013

What Does The Grown Up Believer Look Like?

I sent the following message to another group whom I have the privilege of teaching in a home group and what I shared with them I'm led by the Spirit to post it here for all those that God wants for them to see, so be blessed with it.............
 
I came across a scripture today that actually startled me. It's not like I have never seen it before, but I never saw it before from the perspective of what God has been teaching us in Life Group over the past few months about growing up in Him and becoming a mature Believer who can go forth and do the works of God according to His leading. So the question for me has always been, what does a mature grown-up believer look like? And I've always answered that question this way, "it looks just like Jesus". Now God is the One who formed that answer in me over the years and that answer is right, for if we grow up in Christ, we are going to look and act just like Jesus. (Side Bar- Religion will never allow you to see yourself this way. Religion maintains a distorted view of what it looks like to be a mature Believer. They say they are just poor old sinners saved by grace, but that's not what your Bible says, that's what men say that the Bible says..........oh my, how did I get here....lets get back on track).............
So I've known for years that that the mature believer looks like, thinks like, and talks like Jesus and I truly love that understanding and I grow in it everyday of my life. But I told all of you that were here last Tuesday about revelation and how God will show you new revelation about something so that you can grow in it. I used the example of turning a rock over and seeing the other side and seeing life on the other side that you didn't see from looking down on top of it. Well, I had that experience today as I am preparing my heart for Healing Prayer tonight and I just feel led to share it with you now while it's fresh on my heart.
So the question is, what does a full grown Believer look like? Jesus!! Yes, that is true. But here is what Jesus showed me this day. It's found in Matt 18:1-5, Jesus says in verse 3, " Assuredly (when Jesus uses this word, you better take good note of it) I say to you, unless you are converted (born-again) and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Wow, that shook me. I saw something new. Here is what I saw, I saw that you grow up in Christ and when you are fully mature, you will have become a child. You grow up only to become a child. Now I don't know if that rocks your world but it does mine.
Why a child? Because Jesus is showing us the perfect relationship for a man/woman with the Father. This is the relationship that the Father desires to have with you, why? Well what is the nature of a child. Care free, always having fun, looking for adventure, never really offended because he has such a short memory about things, not worried about his next meal, doesn't concern himself about having cloths to put on each day, and most of all he knows his needs are taken care of by his mom and dad. Now this is the perfect picture of what God wants His full grown believers to look like, just like a child. Not helpless, but totally dependent upon the Father.
I don't know if I was able to share what was on my heart about this, but it's totally turned me upside down. I've suddenly realized that I've spent all these years growing up, only to become a child. But that would be
"God's Child". Fully dependent upon God, but fully prepared to go and do the works of God, for as a child I have my hand in the Father's hand, which now helps me understand when He says, "I will be with you
always".
So here is the assignment.............become a child and be full grown!!!
Be Blessed,
Terry