June 8 Keep Growing… Colossians 2:6-7
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7)
Have you ever experienced a change in your life? Has the status quo become a footnote in the history of your life? Are you different than you were ten years ago? The one thing that we can count on, in this life, is Change! Millions of dollars, each year, are spent in an attempt to keep our appearance the same as today, yet we continue to change with every passing day. I hear of the need for a change in others, however, not me! Right? We resist this inevitable reality with passion and determination. From the very moment of our conception, we are changing, and when we are born, we begin the changing process called aging, and we continue to change until our death! I like to think that this should be called “Maturity.” The Holy Scriptures speaks of our “Growing in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,” yet so many of us are still babies in the Spiritual Christian Experience! As I go deeper into my sixth decade of life, I have become keenly aware of the changes that have occurred in my own life (and body) and I am excited about what is to come! Granted, it took some adju8stments to see an old man looking back at me, from the mirror, each morning, however, I remain hopeful that this image of this “Old Man” will keep growing and aging and maturing spiritually, until it is time to “go home!” Just as we age physically, we must age and grow spiritually! Sadly, many are still at the spot where they got in and resist the changes (growth) that the Bible teaches! Could it be that the struggles and trials of the modern church experience are aa direct result of immature Christians who spend more time resisting change and less on becoming what God has intended? (Is there a possibility that those who refuse to grow and those that resist changing might not be Christians at all?) The Holy Scriptures are Crystal Clear! If you expect to receive the manifold blessings of God, then you must be “Born-Again,” and be in a constant state of maturing! Nothing is sadder than a fully grown (physically), “Collard Green Eating Country Boy,” whining like a child over some trivial thing that has occurred in their lives, or in the church! Folks, there are some real and serious issues going on in our world today! We are witnessing and experiencing “Wholesale” changes in our entire way of life, upheavals in political, social, and interpersonal relationships and an arrogant disregard for the moral and proper way to live! What are we to do? Our Challenge today is to recognize that Change is Inevitable and to Embrace it, and Enjoy it, and to Become what God has Intended for Us to be: Strong, mature, Dependable, Examples of His Love and His Amazing Grace! We Must Be Born Again! We Must Be Bold in Our Witness! We Must Be Strong in Our Commitments! We Must Continue to Grow, Learn, mature and to Become a Strong and Dedicated Warrior for Our Lord! Please Remember! We cannot change the unfolding and prophesied Plan of God, but we can Keep Believing, Keep Receiving, Keep Claiming, and Keep on Keeping On! Praise God! THIS WORLD IS NOT MY FINAL HOME, I AM JUST PASSING THROUGH! Guess What? God is not finished with us yet! TO GOD BE THE GLORY! Stay Strong, Stay Focused… THE BEST IS YET TO BE!