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| This is a picture of the senior adult group from my parent's church. The two men are the point of my posting this pic. The man in the blue jeans was my dad. The man in khaki's was a man named Lenon Hall who lived to be 102. Both men exhibited every single sign of this week's Counting. Many of the women in this picture did also. My mother is sitting in blue next to my dad. I just wanted to put faces with the words on this page. Half of the people in this picture have gone on to be with HASHEM, but their legacy lives on. |
This is the last installment in The Counting of the Omer for 2013! Oh how wonderful the journey has been! I am so sorry for not posting these separately, but I had to work both Saturday and Sunday (and was also sick), then yesterday my computer decided to get a slight virus as well! Just got it all back together!!!! Better late than never, I suppose!
Do you think you are closer to maturity now? Can you see the road more clearly? We have four days worth of The Counting to finish up and then tomorrow.........something very special!!!
Day Four - Netzach of Malchut or Endurance of Maturity
This attribute brings us to the question, where do we go from here? Endurance of Maturity reminds us that the person who has reached a place of maturity knows they will never truly be able to just sit back and ride out life until the Messiah returns. The truly mature person knows that he or she must be in constant communication and connection with God and in His Word to stay mature. Apart from that step, we will never be mature nor will we stay in a mature state. Maturity is not a mountaintop experience, but a plane of being. It is breaking through that "wall" during a marathon and then keeping pace until the end of the race.
Have you gone through the wall? Are you willing to stay in the race or did you think this was just a great mountaintop experience? Keep up the pace and in that sense.....pace yourself! Spend the time needed with your Master. You will not regret it.
Day Five - Hod of Malchut or Humility of Maturity
The attribute of Hod gives us humility. Do you recognize that your maturity comes only from God and His grace? Are you thankful and grateful for that maturity, daily? Each and every time you are looked to for guidance by others, does that immediately bring you to a place of thankfulness to the Father or is there arrogance on your part? Hmmmm, there is no place for pride or arrogance in maturity.
I want to give you a little project, because I think humility and thankfulness kind of go hand in hand. Starting with the letter A, go through the alphabet (you may have to get a little creative with some letters), thanking God for an aspect of your life for which you have gained maturity.
Day Six - Yesod of Malchut or Commitment of Maturity
Sometimes our struggle to reach spiritual maturity leaves us a little skiddish. We are often afraid of falling back into the muck and mire we fought so hard from which to break free. That fear makes it difficult to commit to various endeavors. On the other hand, easily obtained maturity often has the opposite effect. Overconfidence causes us to over-commit to people and things we should definitely stay away from. So, how do we know into what and whom we should place our time and energy? This is where prayer is essential and maturity becomes a key role. "If you truly stay in my words you are my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will bring you out to freedom!" John 8:31-32 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." I Timothy 1:7 And never forget that: "Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall" Proverbs 16:18 Neither of these are mature ways, fear nor pride.
Are you afraid of commitment or are you over-committed?
Finally Day 7 - Malchut of Malchut or Maturity of Maturity!!!!! We have arrived or have we?
Well, we have made it. The pinnacle or crowning glory, Maturity of Maturity. There are a couple of pictures that come to my mind for this one. They are both from Hollywood, but oh well. One is Yoda in Star Wars and the other is the commercial where the guy climbs a mountain. He is seeking to find the Tibetan Monk sitting in a cave in order to ask him that one life question. Wisdom that surpasses all understanding! Is that what comes to mind with you when you think of Maturity of Maturity? There are quite a few scriptures that come to mind for me also. "Gray hair is a crowning glory. It is gained by living a Godly life." Proverbs 16:31. "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." Proverbs 31:26. "Moses heeded the words of his father-in-law," Exodus 18:27.
You see Maturity of Maturity is not only knowing what to do, but knowing who to listen to as well. The greatest scripture associated with this attribute has been under our noses as modern day Christians all along, but we really had no idea what it meant in its fullness. Any guesses? Why not turn to Galatians 5:22 and read with me.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things."
That, my friends, is the ultimate example of Maturity of Maturity! No one nor anything on earth can argue against any of these! You can find the most die hard atheist in the world and present someone to them who exhibits these qualities. If you ask them to present a case against them, I would guarantee they will not be able to do so. Go ahead, I dare you! Of course, it may be hard to find someone who consistently exhibits these qualities.
Now, I want to give you a little bit of a Bible myth buster or perhaps I should call it a church myth buster. When you turn your life over to God through Jesus.....well, Jesus doesn't grab hold of the Holy Spirit by the ankles and zap you and make you into this mature of mature person! You don't get to go directly to Mature!!!! This is not the game of "Christian Life". The penalty of sin may have been removed, but we still have to work on our own lives and grow! Paul told some of the congregations that very thing in his writings. We are not given the luxury of being saved to live a life of ease just sitting back and letting God spoon feed us into becoming fat,sassy, spoiled rotten brats! We are expected to feed ourselves, grow and go to school while all the while learning as much as we can and maturing. It is up to us to build the relationship with our God and our Saviour! He initiated it, but will not force it any further.
Now the question, how bad do you want it? Are you willing to make sacrifices to achieve Maturity of Maturity in your life and to have the ultimate relationship with your God and your Saviour? Today is the day for you to choose. The first day in the first week of The Counting I started with the analogy of being delivered from our "Egypt". At the conclusion of that story in Exodus, just as Joshua was about to lead the Israelites into the promised land Moses set before the people a question. Today I lay that same question before you also.
"I have placed life and death before you, blessing and curse; and you shall choose life, so that you will live, you and your offspring - to love HASHEM, your God, to listen to His voice and to cleave to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days," Deuteronomy 30:19-20
Joshua reflects back this same question to the people just a short time later when they seem to forget the lessons they had previously learned.
"If it is evil in your eyes to serve HASHEM, choose today whom you will serve: the gods your forefathers served across the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we sill serve HASHEM!" Joshua 24:15
So, who do you choose to serve? Today is the day of decision. As for me.......well, I choose HASHEM. I have been there with those other gods and well, they just sat there like a lump of dirt. I know my redeemer lives! And I ain't NEVER goin back!!!!! Praise be to my God!
SHALOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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