Tag / baby

Baby Bird Christians
by Jesse

Baby Bird Christians

Are you a baby bird Christian?

Do you live comfortably in a nest that was prepared for you by someone else? Do you situate yourself high up in the trees away from all the creatures that creep and crawl below? Do you spend most of your time crying out to be fed? Do you live off what others have regurgitated instead of taking time to chew your own food?

At one point in time it was cute, right? You were this little born again hatchling. But that was years ago, decades for some. You’re suppose to be grown by now. Your supposed to be flying around, sowing seeds of the Gospel. You’re suppose to be helping others learn to soar in their relationship with the Lord. Instead, you’re still where you were on day one. You’re still crying out to be fed baby food. It used to be a sweet sound in the ears of other Christians. Now it is just, well…annoying.

If this describes you, it is time for you to leave the nest. It is time for you to eat solid food. Furthermore, it’s time for mature believers to encourage them to do so. Pastors and teachers, we aren’t helping them by giving in to their demands. Would I be a good father if I only gave my daughter cookies (her favorite snack) to eat? No; if she is to grow up to be healthy and strong, she is going to have to eat some fruits and vegetables. The same goes for baby bird Christians. Occasionally, spiritual parents are going to have to show some tough love.

I hope this doesn’t sound too harsh or judgmental. Listen, I had to be told these same things at one point in time, and I am better for it. I thank God for the more mature Christians He used to help me grow up in the Lord. And believe me, I still have a lot of growing to do, but it won’t be from the nest. I’m taking to the skies.

1 Corinthians 3:2 “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready…”

Hebrews 5:12-14 “Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.”

Will We Serve God or Pharaoh?
by Jesse

Will We Serve God or Pharaoh?

During my quiet time with the Lord this morning, I was reading from Exodus chapter 1. After Joseph, along with his brothers and their generation died, a new pharaoh came into power in Egypt. Unlike His predecessor, He did not know about Joseph or the agreement that was made between the Egyptians and Hebrew people. Fearing that they would one day side with his enemies because of their growing numbers, this new pharaoh decided to oppress the Israelites.

The Egyptians treated them cruelly, forcing the Israelites to do hard labor. But, it seemed as if every time the taskmasters cracked their whips, another Hebrew child was born. God continued to bless His people in the midst of great persecution. Truly, He was keeping His promise to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob that He would make them into a great nation. Of course, this apparent blessing incensed Pharaoh at the time. So, he ordered the midwives to the Hebrews to kill every boy they help deliver. The ones who were the first to greet babies from the womb would now meet them with death.

Now, the story could have ended here. The midwives could have carried out Pharaoh’s orders like they were instructed, but they didn’t. Instead, they kept on delivering and sparing both the girls and boys. Why did they do this? Did they not fear the wrath of Pharaoh? I am sure they did to some extent. But, the Bible says they also feared God. And who is Pharaoh compared to God? These midwives knew that killing these newborn baby boys was wrong. God, then, confirmed that the midwives had done the right thing by blessing them with families of their own. It is said that if you were a midwife in Egypt at this time, it usually meant that you were not able to have children of your own. God showed them the good that comes from fearing Him.

The Bible makes it clear that we are to honor and obey the governing authorities because they have been established by God for His purposes (Romans 13:1). However, if the government passes a law or makes a decree that defies God and His Word, we must obey Him first. We see in the last verse of chapter one that Pharaoh did not give up on his plan. He ordered every Hebrew male son to be thrown into the crocodile infested waters of the Nile.

Perhaps you are thinking to yourself: “Couldn’t this all have been avoided? Why didn’t the midwives just do what Pharaoh asked? Surely, God would understand.”

If we learned anything from Joseph’s life it’s that God can use what the enemy meant for evil and turn it for good (Genesis 50:20). And if you simply turn the page of your Bible to Exodus chapter 2, you see that He was doing that again. We can’t let the threats or even horrific actions of “pharaohs” dictate our personal obedience towards God. Like the midwives, we must do what’s right. We must serve God and Him alone. While God may have used Pharaoh’s evil actions for His purposes, He would not let Pharaoh’s sin go unpunished. This is the book of Exodus, after all…