| Hi Lori and everyone! You wrote: Why do we see different levels of maturity all through the body, WHY ARE PEOPLE STILL ON MILK after a year of being saved....IT SHOULD NOT BE SO....but the answer is clear in scripture... I'm thinking that the verse doesn't answer the why but is rather an admonishment speaking to the fact. The "why" has more to do, in my thinking, with "it's just the way things are in a fallen world." I am reminded of the parable of the sower. The word is always the same but it has different results because of the place where it falls. Hard ground = heard heart, rocks = persecution because of the word, weeds = cares of this life, and then there is the ground good ground too. But even the results of the good ground vary—I think because of the measure of faith given as it is written in Romans: Romans 12:3-6
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; Anyway that's only if the "word" is good word in the first place!!! If all the word we get is "milk" or "a different good news" then, I believe, we have the problem you are speaking to Lori. [I hope to not get off on the rabbit trail about "the measure of faith" supposedly being the same for all believers…I don't believe that allows for the fact that faith is also mentioned as a gift of the Spirit and also "comes by hearing." I've also had enough rhema's to know that faith comes with that word. End of rabbit trail. :-) LOL! Guess I started it myself.] I also have experienced a great deal of frustration, in the past, because I expected everyone to be where I was and to have the same passion and enthusiasm that I did. Until I went through some hard times and ended up in the midst of the weeds myself! Lori, you continued with: Do you all see some things here? First of all God's expectation is that we become teachers... That's a great point and something for me to think about because I would tend to attribute that expectation to us rather than to God since He knows the true nature of man, both fallen and redeemed. But the writer of Hebrews says what he says and so it's true! :-) Lori, you continue: I am one of those Christians that believe a Christians life should look so different it makes the world really curious...that is what gives us the opportunity to teach others... Yeah! How could it be any different if it's all true and we really are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the physical body of Christ, He really is our life, and God really is in us both to will and to do his good pleasure! But I have noticed over the years that the revelation to me that most believers aren't there; and my revelation to them of that fact does not have a positive result. I've come to realize it is because they end up fleeing from the light and end up going toward some pseudo-gospel that allows them to remain exactly as they are! I personally believe that, that is the judgment that Peter said begins in the House of God. If we run from the light we will end up in darkness. How many people do you know who are like a minefield, where you have to tiptoe around them because they are just looking for an excuse to take offence? No criticism, whether is constructive or not is allowed! I also am reminded of the Church of Ephesus' having all that revelation, teaching, and doing all those good things but having actually lost their first love! To the point that the Lord said that if they didn't change their mind He would remove their lamp stand! Who can hear that word? And then the church at Laodicea! The Lord knocking on the door—of the church—in effect saying "Is there anyone in there that can still hear me? Come out to me and we'll start a new church!" Lori, you bring up the fact: I know when my children were babies/toddlers I had to teach them right from wrong and good from evil This points to several other lacks: the lack of covenant relationship and the lack of discipleship. I've seen many folks leave churches because the Pastor started to touch on their pet sin or because he didn't! That is how it is today; if we don't like the way things are done then we go look until we find a place where it's done our way. In this example your children were in a covenant relationship with you (you were their legal guardian) and it didn't matter that their feelings were hurt because you loved them enough to discipline them and point them in the right direction! [I'm always interested in watching how people respond to being rebuked—rightly or wrongly—because their response is an indication of their maturity or lack of it.] Lori, you also ask a good question: What are you dwelling on with your heart, what consumes you? Is it the corporate ladder, making money in a slumping economy, always being right, being in control all the time… Again, that is back to the "cares of this life, the desire for other things" that choke the word. The word then bears no fruit! Then we either say "It doesn't work" or "It's not God will!" Anything to justify ourselves; anything to justify why our life does not line up with the lives Paul and company! We invent a doctrine to allow us to stay exactly the way we are! Wow Lori, this is a good one: Let me ask some pointed questions....How much & what kind of TV do you watch, what music do you listen to, where are your thoughts through the day dwelling, what do you talk about the most, what errands are you constantly on? What do you do the greatest portion of the day? This is not meant for people to feel condemned we are to raise our children and be connected and involved, we are to love our spouse and dedicate time to them on a consistent basis, we are to be good employees, BUT in doing all those things you can still be meditating on "His way of doing things and being right".... Ah…we've defined the problem but the real question—to me—is not what am I doing that is wrong, but why am I doing wrong! But acknowledging the truth is the very first step in the solution! Jesus is the answer! Really? So what is the question!? Until we ask the question we will never be given the answer. When we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another. If I have no fellowship then it just might be that I am not walking in the light. If we walk by the Spirit we will not carry out the desire of the flesh. If I am carrying out the desire of the flesh then I am not walking in the Spirit. My next question will be how do I walk in the Spirit? Go to church more, read my Bible more, get involved in more church activates? No! It's like you said Lori, we have to seek HIM and HIS kingdom…then all the rest will fall into place. Trying to do the correct behavior is just a new years resolution…it will fade in a few weeks when fail to achieve it. Coming into Him and letting Him be LORD in us will lead to a behavior that won't fade because it won't be us trying to be something it will be Him being himself through us. I know because I've been in the place where I ran from the light! I ran because I saw the admonishment as being just another appeal for me to try and live up to a standard of behavior that I had already failed at trying to achieve before, in the first place. So, lots of people get in these problems because they are not being fed solid food…but the elementary principles of the world [Christian self help]. Over many years the Lord has opened my eyes to the fact that I am who He says I am in Him, and He is who He said He would be in me. If we're thirsty then the only place we can go is to Him asking Him to show us what the real problem is. You end with: I'm going to follow this blog with some candid ways we can all dwell in Him… Awesome! Looking forward to it! Your brother in Him,
Craig | 
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