Throughout Our Lives We have to be Mature

We have to go through learning, growing, and becoming mature. One’s mind is mature or immature is closely related to learning. We should not look at someone’s age and deem an older person wiser, which can be easily reflected in their learning abilities. They might grow in age, but their minds are not developed as their judgments are confused. During my time shepherding, this type of person is very challenging. Let us look at the bible verses below.

Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered. Hebrews 5:8 NIV

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:12-14 NIV

The main topic of this chapter is learning. We have to understand that learning and growth are closely related. There are people who are already in their forties who are lacking in their learning abilities and it is important for them to grow up. A Christian’s way of life is crucial to understanding learning to grow up and mature. The wonderful part of a person’s life is learning.

Through learning, our minds will be renewed. Through learning, we will be entering new territory and our life will be upgraded. Through learning, our understanding of God’s truth will be upgraded to a higher level, continuously climbing the mountain of Jehovah. Through learning, we will learn to do new things. Through learning, we will experience God and know God more. Our minds will be able to distinguish between what God deems good and evil. Some people might say distinguishing between good and evil is similar to the knowledge of good and evil. I would like to clarify that the knowledge of good and evil is a sign of ignorant and it is using your own standard of evaluation. It is ideal to use God’s standard of distinguishing between good and evil. If you look like Jesus Christ, you will not get hurt easily and you will not love the world. You will always use God’s standard and you will not be confused. You will keep on learning and practicing and you will be able to judge things accurately.

In this chapter, the author wrote about a few types of people; those who are not interested in learning, and only want to understand the superficial. For those who can only drink milk but not solid food, their comprehension of things is just like an infant’s. If you are like an infant, there is nothing you can do. If we say someone is enlightened it means that the person’s eyes looking at things are the same as God’s. This person is a shrewd person and skillful in handling things.

In the faith of Jesus Christ, we must come out from the superficial faith, we would not say get baptized, you are saved and you will be going to heaven when you died. I have never taught these confusing concepts.

Quite a while ago, there was a sister who was taught many incorrect teachings from her previous church. She was not aware of her wrong teachings and always mentioned many strange things. I said to her that you need to explain clearly to her parents and bring them out if not they will have dementia. She said to me “No, I do not want, my dad is doing fine. He has already said the prayer to receive Jesus Christ as Savior.” She said to me that was so strange, “the prayer to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. What is the prayer to receive Jesus Christ as Savior? What is the use of prayer to receive Jesus Christ as Savior? The prayer to receive Jesus Christ as Savior does not mean anything. In the book of Hebrews, the author was saying the same.

Do not stop at the beginning, Learn, Put in practice and Distinguish good from evil

When I was reading chapter 5, the top subheading of verse 11 was written as “Warning Against Falling Away” and actually was referring to those who have no understanding. Today, we are not stopping at the beginning of Christ’s teachings, we must learn, put in practice, open our hearts and distinguish good from evil according to God’s words. Who is Melchizedek? Many people do not know who is Melchizedek. The author referred Melchizedek but was not easy for him to explain as we are unable to listen up. From Genesis to Revelation, we have to clearly understand to be accountable to God is that we have grown from infant to maturity.

There are people discussing the criminal who was nailed together with Jesus and Jesus said to him “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Many people have a very strange mindset and desire to be that criminal. I was thinking, this criminal was living such a pathetic life, his whole life he had never enjoyed the grace of Jesus Christ. What an absurd thought of desiring to be that criminal, before his death, asking for forgiveness and with Jesus in Paradise!

Today, we have achieved priest status, in the order of Melchizedek and why do we want to be a criminal and commit crimes for the rest of our lives, thinking that is an enjoyment? I am telling you that is not enjoyment. There are people who are thinking that if I come to God at a later stage of my life, the freedom of committing sins and treated the sins as a type of enjoyment.

We have to understand what is salvation. Salvation is to live like Jesus Christ. Originally, we have the glorified image of God and automatically we have Melchizedek’s image. If you are not growing, hoping to be that criminal and my advice is to ask you to be a well-known criminal. That criminal final moment was pitiable to be hung and nailed on the cross.

Probably, you might say that Jesus was also nailed on the cross but Jesus was nailed to fulfill our salvation and He receives glory on the cross. That criminal deserved to be nailed on the cross because of all the crimes he had committed. We have to understand, some sufferings have glory and some sufferings have no glory at all. When you are learning to grow gradually to maturity, you have to continue to imitate Jesus Christ and not stop at the stage of an infant who is only drinking milk and not eating solid food. It is so wonderful to know Jesus Christ with our hearts and clearly understand our God.

Keep Learning and Understanding God with all our hearts

What are we learning? We are commencing to understand the importance of learning, learning throughout our lifetime. We are not building a religious organization but building a learning organization. Every brother and sister who come to us will become a talent in society. From the day you were born till growing up, becoming mature, reaching old age and no matter how old are you, all of you will be a talent in society as well as manifesting God’s glory. Today, we have to abolish religious words and desire to live in Jesus Christ’s glorious image. Religious terms are not meaningful if we do not do according to God’s instructions, and learn to grow up and mature.

The problem with many Christians is not understanding if you are only praying and you do not know the right way of learning, you could not understand God’s words. It is fruitless when you have no understanding of God’s words even you are praying as it has no value or meaning to them. I strongly discourage brothers and sisters from only praying and not doing anything. It is the same as saying, I pray to God to help me financially and I do not need to look for a job to work. I am certain you will be living in poverty.

We have to understand God spiritually as well as know Him with all our hearts and minds. In order to get the status of God’s son, the priceless salvation is for us to live in the glorious image of God in the world. We have to take up our responsibility to have Destiny or Ming Ding build God’s temple, God’s house to receive rest in our hearts. Rest in our hearts is one of the most beautiful feelings. Therefore, brothers and sisters do not stop your faith in Jesus Christ only in the beginning but keep learning till you have an increased understanding of knowing God. During the learning process, you can occur many difficulties, do not give up as God is always there to help at all times. God has granted us the holy spirit to guide us into His truth.

The most important of learning is to learn Jesus’s obedience

Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him Hebrews 5:8-9 NIV

Brothers and sisters, I hope all of you can understand obedience is from learning not from following blindly. We need to have clarity we have to obey God and Jesus Christ. Our Church is learning to be obedient to Jesus Christ and this has always been our direction. We want to be like Jesus Christ. Our desire is to be Jesus Christ.

There are numerous people throwing a bucket of cold water at me for desiring to be like Jesus Christ. I discern God’s desire for me is to be like Jesus Christ and know His words with all my heart. What a glorious status and grace, God has given us! To give ourselves to God is not an impulsive decision instead is to have clarity in our hearts.

The book Ecclesiastes stated very audibly that “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” If we cannot see through life, we will be living miserably. If we perceive our job or establish an enterprise as the most important thing in our life, we will be living daily exhausting. We have to ponder why we are putting this worldly success as our priority. Once you understand God’s desire for us, you will enjoy working, having a good meal, and enjoying the fruits of hard work. If we understand that everything is meaningless, our jobs will not give us stress and control us, we are set free.

Unable to listen is hindering us from learning

The leader said what needed to be said, but did everyone below listen? No. Some people after listening and their heart was thinking “Again talking about meaningless, are you helping me to pay my rent tomorrow?” Brothers and sisters do not tell me you are living because of the rent. Can we choose to be clever people and think about the sermon today?

There is a God, He owns the whole universe, the sky, the heavens, earth and everything on the earth belongs to Him. Heaven is His throne, the earth is his footstool, He had come to this earth as a man called Jesus Christ and opened the way for us to eternal life. He was here to restore us to His glorified image.

Brothers and sisters, are our rental and telephone bills still an issue? Can our God solve these problems? These problems are a piece of cake for our God.

Learn to be a person with wisdom and shrewdness

Why are we not wise and shrewd? What is the use of these things? Why are we still walking this road? We go begging someone for a favor and owe them a favor. Today, can we not buy things when we cannot afford them or things we do not need? We must see through everything on earth. There are parents who are very concerned about the primary schools their kids are enrolled in. The key problem is not the school, the key problem is the kids. Let us look at Joseph, he was sold as a slave to Egypt and had never been to a university. We have to ask ourselves if our kids are like Joseph and if they are not like Joseph, putting the kids in the best schools is useless.

There is an entrepreneur who only studied till secondary school and became a successful entrepreneur. She took care of her brother and her brother went to a famous university. Her brother was suffering from depression. We thought studying in a good school is so important. Today, I have already provided everyone the proof, that whether the kid is a learner or not a learner is very important.

Learn to offer yourself as a sacrifice

Are you willing to pay the price for God? It is not only in money offerings, but it is also full offerings of yourself to God as a sacrifice and that is called glorified God’s calling and Ming Ding. You might say I do not have the glorified calling and Ming Ding (Destiny) and how do I live? Are you willing to imitate me, to imitate the author of the book of Hebrews to put in all your energy, and time to enhance your learning, willing to give your utmost best to serve God in order to grow into maturity? It is not feeling pressurized when you are learning.

Do you know this is a glorious Ming Ding( Destiny)? If you understand you would give up everything for Ming Ding (Destiny), what is the pressure of learning God’s words? When you are willing to offer yourself to God when you feel pressure, you will thank God because without that pressure you are unable to grow.

Believing in God is not exhausting when you are running in front. Those who are tired are the ones who are following closely behind. Those who study well are not tired and those who study poorly are always the ones who are tired when they are following behind trying to catch up.

Cherish the trials of God

Today, I would like to tell everyone that when I am serving God, I always say “ God, please take me with you soon. God is not following my will; I have to follow God’s will.” Even if I have one day to live, I would still like to be like Jesus Christ, to see everything as manure in order to receive Jesus Christ as treasure.

In actual fact, if we look closely and understand our purpose to be born into the world is a trial from God. Throughout our lifetimes, all the trials we are going through are from God, it is like we are in the examination hall to be tested. I do not want to fail the test but I want to be like Jesus who passed the test with flying colors.

I encourage everyone to obey God and not stop at the stage of drinking milk as an infant. In God’s kingdom, you have to grow up from drinking milk to eating solid food, having the power of Jesus Christ to win the battle of fighting the devil and set people free from the devil. When you understand God’s words with all your heart, you are able to discern people’s minds and thoughts, see through everything, and able to overcome your flesh desires. God has prepared a crown for you and me in eternity and to receive the crown all depends on whether we can achieve a good grade for it.

Let me tell you that it is important to know what God values and what you value. If what God values is not what you value and can you be accountable to God? This is what this chapter said!

Conclusions

In the process of growing up to become mature, your life will manifest Jesus Christ’s glory and it is so wonderful! May God bless everyone.