Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was cool, and a little on the dreary side, the first thing this morning – or at least I wasn’t able to feel the warmth of the sun on my face the way I love to feel it this time of year – and at first I was disappointed. When I looked around, I realized that I’m the only living creature at the farm that seems to be bothered by a cool, dreary morning. The deer stumbled out of their hiding place and went on to graze in the fields, and the birds were singing the same tune as they do on a clear and sunny day. When I took my childish attitude before the Throne of the God of all Creation, and I turned to my Instruction Manual to search for Wisdom for this new day, He kept pointing me to Words that emphasized the need to “grow up.” The message came across Loud and Clear, and I felt ashamed for having even one selfish thought about something as simple as the sun not shining on my face! So I got taken to the Spiritual Woodshed this morning with a little Lesson on Maturity, and I’m looking at the gloomy sky with clear Vision now, giving thanks for the cool air and the clouds that were shielding the sun this morning. Isn’t that the way God deals with your immaturity, too?

There’s a good side of “never growing up” that I wish everybody had – it’s that place where excitement can flow through the soul over the tiniest little thing. It’s that place where saying “Look at God!” becomes a “routine” thing because God can be seen in all things. Like a child on a Christmas morning, the ones who refuse to “grow up” look at the world with rose-colored glasses – with a Heart expecting nothing but Good. It’s that kind of attitude that enjoys the moment, and the one that never misses out on an opportunity to laugh at life. I like that part of “never growing up,” and I think the world needs more people like that. But there’s another kind of “never growing up” that thwarts the growth of the Heart, the Soul, and every relationship we encounter, and it always will when we refuse to Grow up. There are conflicts within marriages, families, and with friends that all stem from the refusal to grow up. Each one wants what they want when they want it, and each one kicks and stomps like a child when they don’t get their way. They spit out hurtful words like children on a playground, and they’re too centered on themselves to care about what their words do to someone else. It takes Maturity to step back from conflict, and it takes a little “growing up” to admit wrong and to ask for forgiveness. Sadly, many people refuse to “grow up,” and they’ll trade their Peace and Joy all because they’re content with the Heart and attitude of a child. Spiritual Maturity is the Key to Contentment.

There’s another kind of “never growing up” that prevents us from knowing the Fulfillment of God. It’s not enough to know Who He is, and it’s not enough to Read His Words…at some point, we need to Plant the Seeds of what we Learn so that we can move from being a “child” into a “grown-up” Christian. Some people of Faith turn to other people of Faith, and they wonder how they got where they are. Some are jealous, and some are envious, and some spend an entire Lifetime saying “why not me?” while they sit in the Spiritual playground refusing to Grow up. These people whine about what God’s doing or not doing in their Lives, and they’ll compare where they are with where the others are, like they’ve somehow been left out. They’ll say “I don’t know what God wants” or “I don’t know why I’m here,” but they’re like children refusing to grow up – and they never seem to move past their disappointment, all because they’re Spiritual children stuck in an adult body. All they really need to do to Grow up is to be willing to Plant the Seed of what they’ve Learned, and to Nurture the Seeds of their Faith to help it Grow. But they refuse because, like a child, they don’t volunteer for the hard stuff…they’d rather wallow in the playground instead.

Mature Christians have the Desire to Grow up, and they’ll do whatever it takes to get there. They understand that it takes Hard Work to Nurture that tiny little Seed to help it grow into Maturity, and they’re willing to Work hard for it every day. They move from a place of wanting what they want when they want it, and they understand the Value of Words. They learn to Sacrifice in His Name, and they learn to Equip themselves for the Journey. Mature Christians are always hungering for more of Him because they Understand how Sweet the Fruit is that is picked from a Mature tree. Mature Christians learn not to focus solely on head knowledge because they’ve come to realize that God cares a whole lot more about the Heart than he does the head, and they understand the importance of Application over IQ. Mature Christians “never get enough” of the Heart Lessons that lead to Spiritual Growth, and they find their Joy and their Peace by applying what they Learn. Mature Christians have found their Humility…the Key to Spiritual Maturity.

In many ways, I refuse to grow up because I like looking at the world through the eyes of a child, and I enjoy laughing at myself (and the world around me) well beyond what most people do. I’m inquisitive and LOVE to figure out how (and why) things work, and, like a child with a zillion questions, I can easily drive someone crazy in the process. But it’s that side of me that compels me to want to Know more about the people around me, and if I can understand what makes them “tick”, then I can easily Present Jesus Christ to them as their Solution for all things. When you look at it that way, seeing Life through the eyes of a child isn’t such a bad thing after all.

I began this new day with the attitude of a spoiled brat, but He set me Straight because I SOUGHT HIM the way a Mature Christian does. When it comes to being a Grown-up Christian, I’m determined to put in the Work that it takes to Grow the Seed of my Faith into Maturity. It’s through the Maturity that God can use me, and it’s through the Maturity that I find my Fulfillment. I’m surrounded by Love, and Peace, and Joy, and Contentment, and Treasures ALL BECAUSE I’m putting in the Work it takes to be a Grown-up Christian every single day.

How about you?

1 Corinthians 13:11 – When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s the morning after a major storm passed through our area, and although we were warned about “severe weather” and a “high risk of tornadoes” throughout the night, I slept like a baby, and I awoke with no fear of damage I might see. Last night I prayed over this old farm the same as I always do, but I asked the Living God for an extra measure of Protection from the storm. So, when I woke up this morning, I wasn’t at all surprised to find everything in perfect order because I prayed with Belief AND Anticipation of the results even before I could see them with my eyes. I’m not sure why some people waste their breath on prayers if they don’t actually believe that God hears them…or better yet, that He will do anything about it. My God is Able. My God is still on the Throne. The God who parted the sea to deliver His people KNOWS MY NAME, and when I call out to Him, He hears me. Isn’t that the way you see the Living God too?

I can’t say for sure how many times in a given day I say “Look at God!” or I whisper (or shout the name of Jesus, but it’s a lot. I see God in everything, and I call upon His Name through everything. So, when I pray, and “hallowed be thy name” is my first order of Business, I KNOW HE is pleased. I don’t approach Him with a “to-do” list of things I need Him to take care of – He already Knows! I don’t need to spell out every detail of my life circumstances to a God who is already in tomorrow – He already Knows! I don’t need to tell God about a threatening storm because He’s the Creator of that very storm and He already Knows its path. Even though God is already in tomorrow and He Knows the course of any storm, it pleases Him to have His children ASK, that’s for sure. But I have to believe it pleases Him even more when we Trust Him with the outcome and we sleep like a baby despite the warnings of the world. My God is Able. My God is still on the Throne. The God who parted the sea to deliver His people KNOWS MY NAME, and when I call out to Him, He hears me.

I recently shared a video of a person being miraculously healed by God in a faraway land, and most of the feedback I received was filled with doubt and unbelief – “It’s fake!” – “The Spiritual Gifts were only for the Apostles”- you name it, I heard it from the scoffers the Bible warns us about. I was called “naive” and “deceived” for even believing in a supernatural healing, as if my God is no longer able to do Supernatural things. I’m not surprised by their reaction to seeing a healing because they have God in a box and they are intent on keeping Him there, not because the Bible tells them to, but because their denomination has defined the box. They see because they don’t Believe! As for me, I ANTICIPATE the Hand of God and I’m sure not going to doubt it with I see it. I’ve seen physical healing. I’ve been an eyewitness to Spiritual healing. The Lord has done a Mighty Work in my Life, in the old barn that supernaturally became our church, in my family, in my finances…you name it! For all the ones having trouble believing in the Supernatural Works of a Mighty God, all they need to do is look at my Life and Listen to my Testimony! Do I believe in Miracles? I should…I AM ONE! My God is Able. My God is still on the Throne. The God who parted the sea to deliver His people KNOWS MY NAME, and when I call out to Him, He hears me.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week, and I’ve Surrendered my plans over to the One who gave them to me in the first place, and NOW my Heart is Ready for whatever comes my way. I know that the ONLY reason I exist this very moment – the ONLY reason I’m still breathing – is that I have a Job to do in Jesus’ name, so I begin and end each day on a Serious Note. I had a little Work to do on my Heart this morning to Ready myself as the Warrior I know He Intends for me to be, and it’s definitely worth the Spiritual time and effort I put in to get there. Otherwise, I’d be inclined to wander around all day, focusing only on the low-hanging fruit or what’s right before my very eyes (just like this deer), and I’d miss out on the Blessings that come when I reach for the Heavens instead. God has Big Plans for my Life, and I intend to be ready for Him whenever He’s ready for me. The One Who scattered the stars in the sky and knows them each by name is the Same One who knit me together in my mother’s womb at His intended Time. So, from where I sit, He’s a Big God with Big Plans for me, and I’m doing everything in my power to be sure that I don’t miss out on what He has for me by focusing on the easy Way. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?

Some people graze their way through their entire life just like the deer in this photo, and they often question what happened to all of the years because of it. Like Rip Van Winkle, they wake up one day in a start, they’re surprised at how fast the years have slipped by without them. These “sleepers” are usually content just to graze through the Journey of Faith, the low-hanging fruit – the easy way out – focusing only on their next bite, and they’re satisfied as long as nothing bad happens today. These people mostly “keep to themselves” and avoid getting involved in anything beyond their own fields. They refuse to reach higher than they believe is necessary, and they’ll enter the gates of Heaven (maybe) by the skin of their teeth because of it. Outside of a major catastrophe, nothing much excites these people, and they typically spend time with just their own tribe without a care or concern about Life beyond that. They see all “outsiders” as a threat to the space, so they refuse to let others into their very small world. Sadly, these people will pass through this Life without experiencing true joy and peace, and they’ll fail to fulfill their Purpose…the Purpose that can only be found outside of the walls of our comfort when we reach for the Heavens.

I can’t think of anything sadder than to end the days of my Life never having reached for the Heavens. I can’t imagine “settling” only for those obvious morsels in Life with absolutely no Desire to reach beyond what I can see with their eyes. It’s not easy for any of us to move beyond the comfort of our own field, but finding the way is the Key to our true Purpose in life, and finding the strength comes from Faith in the Living God. It’s through our Faith that Love grows, and through Love we find our motivation. This is the Key to finishing the race, and finishing it well.

I’m a child of the Living God, and I’m Living like it. I’m Royalty, and it shows in all I do in His Name. I Trust in things I can’t see with my eyes, and I’m depending on the God of all Creation to take care of me every step of the way. I acknowledge Him in all my ways and He directs my steps, so you won’t find me focused only on what is right before my very eyes – you’ll find me reaching for the Heavens and believing in Miracles instead. I’m facing this day as a NEW day with a BIG purpose, and I’ve Readied myself for it as if this will be the very last day I have in this Journey called Life.

How about you?