Tag Archives: maturity

Seeker Sensitive – ism!

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Hard Work, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Teamwork, Training

How many seeker church services have been commandeered by the Commander and Chief of the Church, and gone longer than the hour they allot for Him to work in their midst?

Short segments of “worship” and crafty sermonette’s create short attention spans!

“Who may ascend the hill of the Lord” are for those who only climb hills that are more like speed bumps in their road to the rest of their lives.

When it takes longer to drive to church, park and enter the sanctuary than it does for the service you came to participate in one should wonder if it is worth the time. Unless the purpose of attending is not connecting to the Presence of the Person they are supposed to worship but the people who may help them in their “real” “life” connections.

Seeker leaders think they must shrink their services because their people have short attention spans.

Do they not realize they are creating a people who cannot focus for very long, and are catering to people who do not want to focus for very long?

What I hear them saying when they talk to me is, “My congregation is made up of children [immature people].” They don’t actually say that but that is what they are actually saying!

Their solution is short sessions. Using illustrative sermons much like a kid’s Sunday School lesson, they build props to prop up their lack of revelation in the Word.

Using “people are visual learners” they fall for the Madison Avenue method of marketing the messages they bring week in and week out, never understanding they are causing the Body to be weak, week after week.

“Meat is for the mature” never crosses their mind because to serve meat would require more time to digest. And time is not a commodity they trade in.

Seeker services are like a fast food restaurant.

“You know, we have to move this group out and get the next group in” is the mindset of the mindless.

Many act as if noon is the bewitching hour so lets move along because we’ve got lunch to consume. It makes me wonder if “their god is their belly” is applicable!

Unfortunately, numbers of attenders instead of the maturity of believers is a core value!

Serving food [a sermon] that is primarily pre-packaged [written by some sermon writer] that they have paid to access, they rarely access heaven to release fresh revelation. Left overs are constantly on the menu!

How do saints fall for the seeker sensitive model?

I have attended 3 seeker sensitive services. The longest I could stomach was 3 minutes! Within minutes I realized that what was being offered was not His Presence but “my program.”

I don’t have time for that!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker

It IS Possible To Not Sin!

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training
It is possible to not sin! In fact, repentance means “I won’t do that again!”
Luke 24 ~
 
“46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
 
1. Jesus said the proclamation of repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name.
 
To proclaim means to publicly cry out with urgency and with an urgency for those hearing to accept what is proclaimed or face the consequences of rejecting it. This word carries the authority of Jesus to proclaim, warn, and reveal the consequences. That is why it is “in His name”. He gave His disciples power of attorney to re-present Him.
 
In order for repentance for forgiveness of sins to be proclaimed there has to be the proclamation that there are sinners and there is sin. 
 
In our modern, or post-modern or whatever we are calling our world right now it is not in vogue to confront a person in sin and their sinning lifestyle.
 
Jesus said proclaim repentance which means to stop it, drop it, and turn to God and start living like Christ.
 
It IS possible to not sin! 
 
John said this in 1 John 2:1,2 – “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
 
A. John writes to “little children”. This word is teknon and is the 3rd level of spiritual maturity for the believer in the childhood [first] stage of growth. He states to these little children –
1. “You MAY not sin” 
a. Means permission is not granted to sin
2. “And IF anyone sins” not “And WHEN anyone sins”
a. John reiterates sin is not permissible nor normal behavior. Sin should be a rare exception not the norm.
b. “We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
1. Our Advocate is more than someone who stands next to us in front of the Father. He is the One who lives on the inside of us and want to live His life through us. In fact, Christianity is not believers living for God. Christianity is God living through believers.
2. This Advocate paid the price that paid for our sin but that price includes His power to live free of sin.
 
2. Jesus said “Christ must suffer and rise again from the dead the third day.”
 
This separates Christianity from all the religions of the world. Christ is alive and is inviting everyone to come to Him and to get to know Him – personally.
 
3. This proclamation would begin “from Jerusalem.”
 
Jerusalem was the launching pad! Jesus said “from” not “in” Jerusalem. The world is the focus not Jerusalem! “God so loved the world . . . .”, not God so loved Jerusalem! The church would be well served to understand this major point! [I have a teaching series and future book titled – JESUS AND JERUSALEM. You can find the series on YouTube].
 
4. This proclamation was to go into “all the nations.”
 
Every ethnic group and every person in every national boundary is to hear this eternally exciting message.
I say eternal because John said this about the gospel – “6 And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7 and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” [Revelation 14]
 
The eternal gospel includes the true worship of the One true God, who is the Creator!
And that is why I said exciting. It doesn’t get any more exciting than meeting, getting to know, growing in the knowledge of Him, and getting to spend eternity with the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
Do you know Him?
Keep HIS Faith! Keep HIS Passion! Keep HIS Purposes!
Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
A Hisstorymaker

The Complete Meaning Of Christmas – Part 2

Posted on by under LifeGiving

In Part 2 of this blog I hope to illustrate how maturity was the goal God had in mind for our role model for all life and ministry – Jesus the Christ – and how it is His goal for every blood bought believer in Jesus the Christ.

Part 1 ended on the importance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

We must remember that God waited to announce who His Son was and how pleased He was with His Son until His Son was baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit in the river Jordan.

In Acts chapter 19 Luke writes that as Christianity was progressing away from Jerusalem, the place of its origin, the baptism in the Holy Spirit continued to be a major theme for the blood bought believers of Jesus the Christ.   This happened approximately 20 years after Pentecost.

“1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”

Did you, dear reader,  receive the Holy Spirit when you believed on Jesus the Christ?

This is not talking about the new birth where every person, upon receiving Jesus the Christ as their Lord, receives the Holy Spirit [Between John 20 & Acts 2 were 47 days]. These disciples were believers in Jesus the Christ. They were “disciples” and they had “believed.” They had just been baptized into John’s baptism. The text does not say they repented and accepted Christ. It says they were baptized in the name of the [their] Lord Jesus. Paul then laid hands on them and they were immediately baptized in the Holy Spirit and they spoke with [unknown, heavenly] tongues and prophesied.

Are you like the people in Ephesus who were confused at Paul’s question?

Are you interested in the truth about the importance of the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Do you have anyone in your life that can clear up any confusion that you may have?

I can make myself available if you don’t have someone?

I believe your maturity in Christ depends on how you respond!

Let’s transition to an Old Testament text that reveals a tremendous amount of information about God’s purpose for the Christ Child.

Isaiah 9:6,7 GWT – “6 A child will be born for us. A son will be given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and peace will have unlimited growth. He will establish David’s throne and kingdom. He will uphold it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The Lord of Armies is determined to do this!”

V6 – “A child will be born for us. A son will be given to us.”

This Child was born for us!

This Christ Child was born to be a role model. He was born “for us”. He is our example! We are to follow in His footsteps!  He was born to carry something tremendous and tremendously important for the planet.

All children are born to become someone who can be given to a purpose that is much greater than themselves!

Children are born, not to remain children, or childish! The same goes for those who are born again by the Spirit of God.

The Son was given the government, not the Child!

The Son was given His government, not the Child!

Are you aware and do you care that God wants to give something tremendous to you so that He can give you as a tremendous gift to the planet? Our level of maturity will determine if we ever have access to it.

1 Corinthians 13:11 GWT – “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used [employed] childish ways [childishness].”

NAS – “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things [childishness].”

MSG – “When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.”

There is a huge difference between childlikeness and childishness!

We are to remain childlike even though we are to lose our childishness. Childishness on an adult is not cute, or appealing!

The word child is used 5x in the 1 Corinthian 13 text. All 5 are the Greek word nepios [nay-pee-os].

Nepios is the 2nd level of maturity in the childhood stage of maturity [Greek words for child are Brephos, Nepios, Paidion, Teknon].

Nepios means immature, unable to speak intelligently, self-centered, self-absorbed, selfish, carnal [living out of our old unsaved nature]. Paul uses this word in 1 Corinthians 3.

Included in this word for immaturity is the word negate.

Negate – To nullify or cause to be ineffective; to be negative; to bring or cause negative results [especially through pessimism].

Pessimism – The tendency to see, anticipate, or emphasize only bad or undesirable outcomes, results, conditions, problems, etc.

My wife Donna and I have been together 43 years. 39 of those years as a married couple. When we were teenagers I called her a pessimist one day. Her response was to hit me and say, “I am not a pest.” Of course we had a discussion about what I really said and did not say. As I have thought about that “event” in our history together I realized a pessimist is a pest. Pessimists bug positive people. Pessimists don’t like positive people and the feeling is mutual. Pessimists attract other pessimists so they can talk about all that is wrong in the world, or at least their world. Many times they deduce their problems are the positive people in their world who won’t agree with them.

What is negating our individual progress toward maturity and responsibility?

Is it possible that our individual issues of immaturity are impeding our personal growth and is hampering the overall growth of the corporate Body of Christ?

Paul said he made a decision to get rid of everything that was hindering his progress!

This Son was given to us!

Sonship is the second level of maturity in the Kingdom of God. This maturing process from childhood to sonship is critical to the person born being given by God to a greater purpose. It is in this “given to us” that defines the purpose for why they was born for us. Jesus was born to carry the weight of governing [ruling] the world. He had to successfully progress through the four stages of development as a child before He could reach the sonship level of maturity.

Have you ever thought why Jesus arrived as a Baby in a manger? By the way, everyone starts in a manger. A manger can represent the place of insignificance where we are unnoticed and unappreciated by those who do not really know and love us.

The manger was not the goal. It was the place of beginning. It was meager and it was messy. But it was the origin of the greatest thing God has ever done on the planet. Christmas began in a Mary, then a messy manger, but it continues in the masses of maturing blood bought believers in Jesus the Christ as they manifest the Son of Man through their own personal mission, ministry and mandate.

Jesus is called the last Adam. He is not the second Adam. There will not be another Adam.

The first Adam arrived on the planet as a man. He represents every human being that is lost, separated from God and without hope in this world. The last Adam arrived as a Baby and represents every blood bought son and daughter of God.

The first Adam was “born” in a Garden where everything was provided and perfect. The last Adam was born in a stall. The first Adam’s failure to fulfill his mission, mandate and ministry from God temporarily stalled God’s purposes for mankind. The last Adam’s obedience restored the relationship and reignited man’s role in stewarding heavenly realities that will ultimately transform God’s planet back into a Paradise.

The first Adam had no experience or history with God in spiritual warfare and therefore he had no idea how to fight off the serpent who attacked his identity [made in the image and likeness of God] and his mission, ministry and mandate to take Paradise to the rest of the planet [rule, reign, subdue, be fruitful, etc].

The last Adam was born a Baby. He had the advantage of a process of maturing where He had to endure all kinds of hardships and attacks against His identity [a bastard child, the son of a carpenter, etc], and against His mission, ministry and mandate [“By what authority are you doing these things”, etc]. This Man “learned obedience from the things He suffered.”

Those experiences were invaluable to Him to remain true to Who He was and what He was born to become and ultimately accomplish.

Let’s take a look at what Paul had to say to the blood bought believers in Galatia.

Galatians 4:1-7 CEV – 1 Children who are under age are no better off than slaves, even though everything their parents own will someday be theirs. 2 This is because children are placed in the care of guardians and teachers until the time their parents have set. 3 That is how it was with us. We were like children ruled by the powers of this world.4 But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, 5 so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God’s children. 6 Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father.7 You are no longer slaves. You are God’s children, and you will be given what he has promised.”

The word ‘children’ in verses 1 -3 is the word nepios we have studied above. As long as we are carnal, self-absorbed, self-centered, and selfish [stuck on ourselves] then the Father cannot release what He has reserved for us.

God wants us to grow up into sonship, just like His Son Jesus the Christ did. Remember, the government was the Babe’s in the manger but it was not given to Him until the river Jordan. It was there that He began to assault the enemy who had been assaulting Him His entire life up to that point.

There is another truth in this text that I missed until recently. Paul tells us that “when the fullness of time came God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.” I see this this way – God finally found a woman who was prepared  [pure and open to God”s supernatural interventions in her life] to carry the responsibility to bring to term the greatest gift God would ever give to the planet.

Mary, who “knew” no man was open to trying something new. Her availability to the Creator created her opportunity to become “great” with Child.

In conjunction, it was important that Joseph was able to cover her during the most difficult time of the process. Their responsibility did not lessen, it only changed once the Babe was born.

Could it be that God is waiting again for the conceivers, carriers and coverers to become prepared so that at the right time He can release something again on the planet that the people on the planet desperately need?

God needs mature people, male and female, to become pregnant with His purposes and He needs mature leaders, male and female, who will cover the carriers of those purposes.

Are you ready?

What do you need to do to get ready?

What all does God want to give to you so that He can then give you to others?

To whom does God want to give you?

For what purpose does God want to give you to those He wants to receive you?

What if they don’t receive you?

How will their acceptance or rejection affect why you were born?

What is your history with God?

How is your history with God affecting your stance against the attacks of the enemy against your identity and life purpose?

Is the enemy attacking you?

If not, why not?

What if anything have your learned or are learning from the things you have suffered or are suffering as you stay true to who you are in Christ, and what God has called you to become and accomplish?

The process between our birth, new birth and our revealing to the world determines how much influence we will have in our world.

We are told in the Isaiah 9 text that His government and peace will have unlimited growth. Contrary to contemporary pop theology, Jesus inaugurated His kingdom 2000 years ago. It started small in a small geographical location with a small band of ragged disciples. It has grown and will continue to grow until the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of God.

Many “followers” drew near to Jesus and eventually left Him. Jesus remained Jesus! All of Jesus’ original followers deserted Him when He was the most vulnerable. Jesus remained Jesus!

Do not despise small beginnings

Zechariah 4:6-10 GNT – “6 The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this message from the Lord: “You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by My Spirit. 7 Obstacles as great as mountains will disappear before you. You will rebuild the Temple, and as you put the last stone in place, the people will shout, ‘Beautiful, beautiful!’ ” 8 Another message came to me from the Lord. 9 He said, “Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of the Temple, and he will finish the building. When this happens, my people will know that it is I who sent you to them. 10a They are disappointed because so little progress is being made. But they will see Zerubbabel continuing to build the Temple, and they will be glad.”

Zerubbabel did not allow the lack of help to deter him from working. Keep working friend even when you are not seeing the kind of results you desire.

Though your beginning is small yet great will your end be

Job 8:7 NCV – “Where you began will seem unimportant, because your future will be so successful.”

Christmas, among many other things, is about God coming in the flesh to model the lifestyle of a “producer”, lifting mankind out of the mindset of an ‘excuser’.

The excuser’s reality is – “I can’t do it”, “It won’t work”. To them “all things are impossible” therefore they are afraid to start anything or pay a price to work hard at something.

The ‘producer’s’ reality is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me [gives me His ability]”, and “This will work” or “I will work until it works”. To the producer “Nothing is impossible” so he or she is not afraid to go for it.

Here are 2 true statements that are worthy of your consideration:

Our beginning does not have to determine our end! If you don’t begin you are already at your end.

What we do between our beginning [born] and our end is determined not by where we began, but by what we do on the road to being given!

Why were you born?

Have you grown up to the point that you can now be given for a purpose bigger than yourself? Or are your still stuck on yourself?

If you are not growing up why are you not growing up?

What is stunting your growth?

Is the Christian culture you are in allowing you to grow beyond your wildest dreams?

Are your dreams being drowned out by those who want you to stay a child?

Do you want to stay a child? If so, why?

If you need help Donna and I are available to mentor you. Let us know if or how we can assist you.

If you would like to financially support Bethel Church we have a Paypal link on our website at http://www.bethelbythesea.org.

If you feel led to support our itinerate ministry you can send your financial gift to Hisstorymakers Ministries, Inc. at 164 Cypress Run Drive, Brunswick, GA 31520

Merry Christmas!

For HIS Glory!

Dr. Kevin M.Drury

A Hisstorymaker

FYI, my first book is near completion. I am waiting on the graphic artwork for the cover to be completed. It is called CHRISTIANITY THE WAY JESUS LIVED IT, Releasing The Christ Within You.

The Complete Meaning Of Christmas – Part 1

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, LifeGiving, Training

Many people only know the Christmas story as an event where God came to earth in the Person of a newborn Babe. This is only the beginning of the Christmas story.

Why did the Baby Jesus come? This blog may not answer every question people may have about this event including this specific question. What I hope this blog will do is cause you to pause and begin to ask yourself how the arrival of a Baby in Bethlehem nearly 2000 years ago has affected your life.

I have purposefully made some strong statements to start this blog off. We will look at some Scripture and there will be additional questions for you to ponder as well.

I really hope you enjoy and benefit from this blog!

I usually include the text of all the Scripture references I use to make it easier for you the reader to follow what I am saying. You will also find Scripture text in quotations without the “address”. To keep this blog, which will be at least in two parts, “short” – I hope you will look up the references yourself. This will actually help you to learn and retain this material.

If you are really adventurous you can research Scripture that pertains to the statements that I make in this blog that do not have Scripture references attached to them.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.

It is the glory of kings to search out a matter.”

[Proverbs 25:2]

If you have questions I would love the opportunity to answer them for you. If you would like to watch the video podcast of this message, or any of our messages at Bethel Church in beautiful Brunswick, GA you can find them on our YouTube page [Bethel By The Sea], our Facebook page [Bethel Church Brunswick, GA] or our website [bethelbythesea.org].

Here we go!

The manger of Jesus the Christ is only relevant because of the life and maturing of Jesus!

The life and maturing of Jesus the Christ is only relevant because of the ministry of Jesus!

The ministry of Jesus the Christ is only relevant because of the Cross! Jesus handed out the benefits [all that salvation offers – Psalm 103:1-6] of the Cross before His payment on the Cross was carried out!

The Cross of Jesus the Christ is only relevant because of the resurrection and empty tomb of Jesus!

The resurrection and empty tomb of Jesus the Christ is only relevant because of the ascension of Jesus where He sits at the right hand of Power and Authority!

The ascension of Jesus the Christ is only relevant because of the coronation of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of Lords!

The coronation of Jesus the Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords is only relevant because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the the blood bought believers of Jesus!

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the blood bought believers of Jesus the Christ is only relevant because without the baptism of the Holy Spirit on each generation of blood bought believers of Jesus, the Christianity that Jesus the Christ began 2000 years ago is reduced to human effort, intelligence and ingenuity!

Christianity is only Biblical Christianity when blood bought believers choose to obey the Head of Christianity and “do not leave Jerusalem until they receive the Promise of the Father and are endued with Power from on high.”

Our Jerusalem is the place where we were born again. It is our place of origin in The Faith “passed down once and for all to the saints”. If you have moved away from your personal “Jerusalem” and have not been baptized in the Holy Spirit then you can make the place you are reading this blog the place you receive this tremendous Promise of the Father.

Christianity was not launched in the manger – the manger is very important!

Christianity was not launched at the Cross – Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world – The Cross is VERY important!

Christianity was not launched in the upper room where the first blood bought believers “received the Holy Spirit” and were born again – We must be born again!

Christianity was not launched at the ascension of Jesus – we have already seen the ascension is very important!

Christianity was launched at two very specific events!

The first event – the water baptism of Jesus the Christ at the river Jordan. Jesus entered those waters as the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. He came up from beneath those waters and heaven opened and the Spirit of God anointed Him with power. It was here that the voice of God was heard saying – “This is My Son in whom I am well pleased.”

At this event God the Father announced the unveiling of the prototype Christian. God   the Father was pleased with Jesus the Babe in the manger. God the Father was pleased with Jesus the young boy who submitted to His parents. God the Father was pleased with Jesus the young man who carried on His father Joseph’s carpentry business. God the Father was pleased with Jesus the moral and ethical human. But Christianity is NOT Jesus-i-anity. It is Christ-i-anity!

A Christian is a person that is in right relationship with the Father [no sin blocking the relationship] and who is led and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The second event – Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the corporate Body of blood bought believers. Blood bought believers of Jesus the Christ are the present tense Body of Jesus and Paul the Apostle calls the resurrected and glorified Jesus the “Head of the Body, the Church.”

I believe this event fulfills not just Joel’s prophecy in chapter two but also Psalm 133 where the Psalmist said,

“1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forever.”

Oil was used to anoint kings and priests in the Old Testament. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of  lords. He was anointed with oil when He arrived at the right hand of the Father at His ascension.

Acts chapter two reveals the unifying influence of the Holy Spirit baptism and how effective it is in evangelism. It is interesting to me how the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a divisive event in our modern compromised Christian culture.

I will end Part 1 of this blog here. Part 2 will reveal the importance of the maturing of the Babe and  maturity’s importance in our lives as well.

For those who are interested you can follow me on Twitter and on Facebook and this blog page.

Twitter – @DrKevinMDrury

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kevin-Drury-Ministries/156473711075091

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kevin.drury.35?ref=tn_tnmn

If you would like to contribute financially to Bethel Church there is a Paypal link on our website.

If you would like to contribute financially to my itinerate ministry you can mail it to 164 Cypress Run Drive, Brunswick, Ga 31520 C/O Hisstorymakers Ministries, Inc.

Merry Christmas and may this Christmas bring you everything God intended for you to receive when He sent His only begotten Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, on that wonderful first Christmas 2000 years ago.

For HIS Glory!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury

A Hisstorymaker