Here recently the Lord has been leading me to write out for further clarity the importance of discipleship and the vitality of recognizing the spiritual maturity of others before we speak. As we look upon the disciples we can recognize that not only did they go out to share the Good News but they also took responsibility for the new births. They did not just care about the “numbers” of who came to Christ but they understood their responsibility of continuing to teach Gods Word in order for each new child to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.
No Looking Back…
Once we make a decision to move forward there is no looking back unless it is in praise from where God has brought us from. Like a farmer who plants a crop he first must recognize the season before he sets the plow to the ground. It would be wise of the farmer to be ready and his tools to be sharp for the day in the season to begin. During the season the farmer doesn’t question the process for he simply follows the steps and then trust in God for the harvest that is sure to come.
There is nothing like planting seed in the Kingdom of God and actually witnessing something develop before our very eyes. Like a farmer sometimes there is a hit and a miss due to the drought but when he learns to tap the well to irrigate the crops is when the plants will strive while the others without water simply die. It is wise of the farmer to pay close attention to his crop to insure the nutrients that to be fed and to insure that no weeds begin to hinder the harvest.
Making Godly decisions is wise to understand whether in our homes, in the church or in our careers. For this message can apply to every individual as the farmer for once we put the plow to the ground in a commitment under God there is no looking back as we trust in the Lord to help us reach the other side. What good is a farmer if he was to quit just before the rain or simply because of the work that was before him?
Jesus said in Luke 9,”No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
James A. Harrison
The Youths Anger Divided The People
In 1 Kings 12 of the Holy Bible we learn a valuable lesson of the anger that dwelled in the youth towards the older generation because they did not know how to deal with it in love. This anger caused a division in the body that eventually separated the people. When King Rehoboam asked for advice from the older generation that once advised his father he rejected their wisdom because it was not what he wanted to hear and he wanted to prove himself. So, he called in some youth that he had grown up with to seek their advice and as expected their anger gave no mercy to the people because they wanted to prove themselves.
Why did the youth lash out towards the people? Why did they not want to give mercy instead of making matters worse ? Why were they carrying so much anger instead of learning from the past to help correct something in the future? Doesn’t the Lord show us here how the youth must have been carrying some anger towards those that were once in control? Do you think possibly that the youth might have felt suppressed as they matured because the elders were so stuck in their ways? Can you see the importance of adding value to someone else’s life as they mature rather than only caring about our own?
When a child receives freedom it is very important for them to understand the Word of God and to know how to mature in love rather than allowing their emotions to misguide their actions. Children that live under rules without love are more subject to break them because they do not understand them and when the older generation neglects how to develop the younger generation then we are only setting ourselves up for a possible division in the family of God.
The Word of God teaches us to listen and to always be alert for the wisdom that God provides because there is something to be gained in every age of life. It is easy to become blinded when we get so wrapped up in building our own mission that we often forget how to add value to someone else’s. When this takes place usually the very ones that miss out are the ones that are right at our feet because we become so busy with the world that we forget how to take care of our homes. God gives us children to carry on what He has given and God raises up men and women to carry on the direction that we are to serve.
When we don’t include those that God has placed around us whether in our homes, in our careers, in our churches or even in our nation then we are only setting ourselves up for a future division to come. This lesson is a very important message on how to develop the youth without causing rebellion and it teaches us the importance adding value to someone else’s life so they will in turn do the same in the future. We go from one extreme to the other in this message between the youth and the older generation because the youth failed to understand the principles in the foundation while the elders failed to properly develop their future generations.
One of the most important parts of maturity is our understanding in the Word of God and then teaching the importance of having self discipline in love to maintain our future…amen
James Harrison
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The Ramp Review In Hamilton, Alabama
It is very wise to recognize and know the spirit which we follow to insure that our children are being directed in the right direction. Satan is very clever in knowing how to deceive us when we lose sight of the steps that we take and we don’t take the time to know the message which is being delivered. For instance, Satan will sit back and allow us to go forward in worship because he knows what will take place when we get caught up in our emotions when we don’t have the spiritual wisdom and discernment to simply recognize what is right and what is wrong. This is where Satan often deceives us in the spirit because He wants us to think that we are following God when we could be leading to a division in the body of Christ.
There is unity in the body and harmony in the spirit of God that teaches each of us in love to learn from one another and how to respect each parties function within the direction of God. There is nothing wrong with us enjoying the spiritual high of God but if we do not recognize the importance of staying in tune with God in our emotions then we are setting ourselves up for a hard fall. We learn this in the lesson of Joshua and the Israelites when they ran out in front of God in their emotions after conquering the city Jericho.
It is vital for our youth and for every child of God to understand how to handle our emotional highs with our emotional lows that we face in this journey of life. Jesus Christ (NEVER) separated himself from the sinners nor the world and Paul supported the church that was first established by God with Moses as he lead the people out of captivity to reach the freedom that we receive in God’s promise. Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul addressed the people and the church not to bring division but to correct what was wrong by God in not properly following the Lord’s instruction. Division came because of Satan in the people for not humbling themselves to receive the Truth in the Word of God. Our Lord taught us how to walk in this world through Moses and the Israelites in order for us to maintain the freedom that has been given to each of us today in the spirit of God through Jesus Christ by having order and self discipline to keep our homes and our nations intact.
The Lord plainly teaches us how to listen, when to move, how to run, how to respect, and even how to walk in order to maintain our balance in this life. For if we just jump out on a tight rope without knowing how to reach the other side when the winds of Satan come our way then we really need to take a step back to learn how to walk with God rather than trying to do it on our own. Life has good times and life has very hard times and if we don’t know how to walk on our own under God with the love of Jesus in our hearts then Satan is just waiting at the door to hold us down when we fall.
It is very easy to speak out against what we see, but in true love that is directed by God we are to stand in faith while sharing the love of Jesus Christ. God shows us what is not right by others to help shape us into who He wants us to be. As we mature and learn to trust in God it is our duty to standfast in love within the winds of sin in this fallen world. It is when we take matters into our own hands that we cause divisions in our relationships to the point that they can cause anger and separation.
As long as we know the steps that we take in the Word of God and know how to act in love when we face confrontation then we are on the way to understanding how to follow God rather than acting out in our emotions. Regarding the Ramp in Hamilton, Alabama there are good points as well as there are bad points which we can find in any church or in any human being. It is great to see our youth speaking of God rather than chasing the world and watching them be set free from their suppression of Satan who wants them to lose hope in this life. But the part which is raising a flag of concern is the gift of speaking in tongues due to the confusion that it is bringing in the body. Speaking in tongue is a gift from God that no man can give or is to teach to another. The dangers of this practice in public display comes when someone does not know how to stand on their own under God and wants to be accepted into a group to feel loved by the people instead of learning to receive the gift in faith.
The Word of God teaches us in 1 Corinthians 14 about the gift of the Holy Spirit and we also learn the importance of decent and orderly worship. For there is a time to speak and a time not due to the confusion that it can bring upon the people. In reference to someone claiming to be chosen or to be a prophet this should be addressed with caution to insure that Jesus Christ is being properly edified and to insure that we lean on God rather than man. It is not our place to reveal something to someone but we are to lead by example and allow the Holy Spirit to give the confirmation rather than trying to reveal something for our own glorification. There is a big difference between being called and actually being chosen and many people have misled the people with this misunderstanding in the word of God.
There are good things taking place at the Ramp as well as some things that are causing some confusion in the church. This is where we as parents must understand the places our children attend and we as leaders in the church teach others how to recognize the proper spirit of God to insure the steps that they take. For God is not the author of confusion and if someone doesn’t understand what they are walking into then they need to take a step back to prepare for what they might face. We all encounter things in life that are different from time to time but one thing that we all must recognize is the importance of the unity within the body. It is vital to teach our children how to live in this world and not of this world through the love of Jesus Christ as they learn to hold on to the cross to maintain their balance in life… amen
James Harrison / Servant
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