Spiritual Maturity

It is always an honour for me that I get to write to you!

As many of you know I have entered the blogosphere as a means of conveying some of the more personal thoughts that I enter into my private daily journal - as the Lord permits me to share. If you haven’t yet found the blog (I haven’t publicised it much on social media) here it is: The Oculus

I’ve recently written a short story called: The Emperor’s New Clothes. I’m sure that most of you are familiar with the classic children’s fable written by Hans Christian Andersen.

In case you haven't heard it before it is the tale of a king who had to have all the latest fashions, when one day two conniving tailors came along and convinced the king that they had the most expensive and fashionable outfit that money could buy, only they didn't really have anything at all, it was a scam, a scam so convincing that the King, not wanting to look like a fool, bought the outfit and went about his palace in the nude showing off his wonderful new "garment" to his attendants who were too afraid (and embarrassed) to tell the king the truth about his obvious nudity, that they played along with the deception.

After a while even his lords and ladies were sucked into the sad affair and told the King what wonderful new clothes he wore as he stood there in all his naked glory like a peacock with invisible feathers! Eventually everyone in the kingdom was in on the terrible joke, each subject just as afraid as the other to even dare speak the obvious truth that the only suit the King wore was the one he wore on his birthday, and they applauded the king as he paraded his nakedness in the streets for all the subjects to admire...

Until suddenly a child who didn't yet know enough to be embarrassed and was innocent enough not to be afraid of a King cried, "he's not wearing any clothes! Why is the king naked?" And with that the spell was broken, as the subjects began to laugh at the naked king and he rushed off to his castle ashamed at what a fool he had been.

I was in prayer one morning when this story that I so enjoyed reading as a child came into my range of perception i.e. I had an ocular moment and began recording what was flowing through my sight by the Holy Spirit.

What resulted was a spiritual parody based on that fable. It is intended for the spiritually mature and those who have a taste for the meat of the pure word of God. The filet mignon rather than a Big Mac! It is filled with types and shadows and is prophetic to the max!

I did not breakdown the symbols and define the analogous sense of the spiritual types and prophetic shadows in the story as I believe it needs to call out to those with "an ear to see!” Go read for yourself and work it out!

The Spirit of the Lord has been speaking to me for the last 14 months of a required maturity of His Church before a tsunami-like coming revival, and it’s about time we stopped playing church and started growing up.

I grew up in a dispensation of unprecedented spiritual growth. Quantum leaps forward in spiritual understanding came during a spiritual renewing period in the late 70’s through 90’s. I grew up in a church that taught the Word (logos). We didn’t interpret things to suit our emotional disposition. We read the text and became transformed by the Spirit of the Word. The Word of God was invested in my generation and we loved it. Teenagers read the scriptures as much (if not more) than the adults of our church. We devoured it. Our hunger created depth and maturity. The modern church needs to get back to this - now!

On Being Critical v Discerning

I just want to share with you briefly on this aspect of judging things that is being bandied about by silly people as a defence against scrutiny! Again - time to grow up!

You might have probably heard very popular voices at fervent pitch crying out against judging others or being critical of either their idols or so their called revelations! But let's just take a minute to turn to scripture rather than opinion or human wisdom.

Stay with me - read on - this will teach you something.

Most proponents of the Matt 7 and 1 Cor 4:5 injunction do not pause to consider the context nor the spirit of the text. It goes like this:-

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (NIV)

Now here’s the issue: This is not an injunction to stop being discerning! Neither is it a licence for those who hold function in the body to remain unchecked or bypass scrutiny! What Jesus is saying quite openly is to not judge each other on a personal level because by the same measure or standard we too will face judgement.

But Jesus is certainly not telling us to accept everything glibly as Truth and Revelation! Its actually amazing that hardly any continue to read the very next verse:

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."

This immediately tells you that discernment has to be in operation for you to make a judgement call! C'mon folks! Read the white.

No my friends we are called to discern and examine. We are not called to judge people nor their inner motives or the issues of their hearts - but we are certainly called to discern their actions and the output of their lips!

People love to quote St Paul says in 1 Cor 4:5 but fail to realise his thought line starts in the prior verse:-

1 Corinthians 4:4-5 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. (NIV)

Right there most scream, “Oh don’t you see?? We cant judge anything!” No dear Warriors! We ought not to judge our brothers and sisters. But we are certainly called and implored to judge spiritual things by a spiritual standard!

Have you not read the very same apostle write in the very same letter to the Corinthian church a few pages earlier: 1 Corinthians 2:15

"The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments."

He was making reference to the prior thought expressed in verse 13:

"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words."

He goes on to say that we have the mind of Christ! That means we must rightly divide the word of truth and discern error and then make a judgement on spiritual matters. But that takes maturity and bravery.

What Will Your Response Be?

God is calling for spiritual maturity! Be brave. Make a call on what you hear lest you be swayed by every whim of doctrine. God is speaking about a season of maturity and it is coming fast. We must run hard.

No go read The Emperor’s New Clothes.

Dear Warriors,

It's Time To Mature