Saints, it's time to grow up spiritually;

your victory is in this process (Part IV)

Last week, I ran down a list of familiar Bible quotes and churchy sayings --- phrases and scriptures --- that baby Christians, or "milky saints," often blab out. The scriptures themselves are true. For they are the holy, written Word of the Living God, our heavenly Father. But far too often, these scriptures are misapplied, misunderstood, misquoted and just flat-out taken out of context.

So, in this, my fourth column in a series I've been writing called "Growing Up Spiritually," I, under the unction of the Holy Ghost, will be dismantling all of these lies that the enemy --- Satan --- introduced into the church concerning these matters. This series, inspired by the "Growing Up Spiritually" series preached from the pulpit by my pastor/daddy in the gospel --- Dr. Lynn Morrison Jr. of All Faiths Christian Center & Word of Faith Ministries, Baton Rouge, La. --- serves to challenge God's people to start growing up spiritually.

"The Lord works in mysterious ways" is one quote you often hear Christians saying. It's not a problem to hear non-Christians talk like this. Because --- duhh!!!! --- they haven't accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Savior. Therefore, to THEM, He DOES work in mysterious ways.

But to my brothers and sisters in the faith, I ask: If our heavenly Father's ways, His works, are "mysterious," then why would He give us 66 books AND a Counselor, I might add? And why would He give us that heavenly language --- tongues --- if He wanted us to be clueless about how He operates?

I know most of you reading this column are afraid of the word "tongues" because you were never properly taught, if taught at all, what it means to speak in tongues, or pray in the Holy Ghost. So, as a result, you reject it. The sad part about it is that when you reject the baptism in the Holy Spirit (being filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues), you, in essence, reject the wisdom of God. You decline to go into a higher level in God. He has so much more of Himself that He wants to REVEAL to YOU, but He can't do it without your trust.

When you speak in tongues, when you worship Him in tongues --- that language that you don't understand save your interpretation comes by way of the Holy Spirit --- you speak the infinite wisdom of God. You speak mysteries (1^st Corinthians 14:2). Oh, they ARE mysteries to the non-Christian, but they are revelation to YOU.

In John 16:12-15, the Lord Jesus, CLEARLY tells us, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. HOWBEIT, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide YOU (mature Christians) into ALL truth: for He (the Holy Spirit) shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall HEAR (from God the Father), that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.

"He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto YOU. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall shew it unto YOU."

I submit unto you, brethren, that the Lord is saying that those things that are "mysterious" to the world (non-Christians) are being revealed to grown-up Christians by way of His Holy Spirit (also see 1^st Corinthians 2:10-13).

The Apostle Paul, addressing the church at Corinth, which had experienced great turmoil, said in 1^st Corinthians 2:14, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they (the things of God) are foolishness unto him (the natural man). Neither can HE (the natural man) know them (the things of God/the revealed truths of God), because they are spiritually discerned."

And in 1^st Corinthians 2:16, it is CLEARLY written that "we have the mind of Christ." So because we have the mind of Christ (those of us who study to show ourselves approved, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH [2^nd Timothy 2:15]), we can discern (or recognize by His Spirit) God's will for our lives.

In other words, "milky saints" --- baby Christians --- the more you SET YOUR WILL to spend more time in the presence of God (in private, in addition to going to church), the less "mysterious" His ways will be to YOU.

The less "mysterious" His ways are to you, the more you'll find yourself conscientiously tapping into God's favor. Just as your ways aren't mysterious to your children, or loved ones, God's ways shouldn't be mysterious to YOU.

Quit being a stranger to your heavenly Daddy. Give Him more of you so He can give you more of Him. If you don't understand this, you'll always find yourself short-changed in life, beggin' for stuff you have a Covenant right to, but never getting it because you don't understand protocol within the kingdom of God.

Well, I'll go further into this issue in the next edition. But I'll leave you with this one: "God knows my heart." Generally, when you hear one of the saints say this, look out!!! He or she either did something, is doing something or is about to do something he or she KNOWS God dislikes. So this person is trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Self-deception (Galatians 6:7-8). See you next week!

( Min. Donald Lee is at donjlee@bellsouth.net Web link: www.lynnmorrisonministries.org )