SLEEPING GIANT, AWAKE!

Scripture Reading:

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NIV

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly---mere infants in Christ. [2] I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. [3] You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

Hi there! Child of God, how are you doing?? Today's topic is going to delve a little into science mixed with scripture. Hope you're ready? Let's go!💃🏾

In medicine, P.E.M or Protein Energy Malnutrition is the big umbrella which encompasses nutritional disorders such as kwashiorkor, marasmus or marasmic-kwashiorkor. It's basically diseases occuring due to malnutrition, or not eating a healthy diet. We say that someone is malnourished or nutritionally deficient when there's an imbalance between the demand and supply of nutrients to the body; thus, resulting in growth issues and disruption of specific systemic functions.

This mostly occurs in children. And it can either be longstanding i.e. Chronic, or over a short period of time i.e. Acute. Some physical signs which may present include: poor weight gain, developmental delay (e.g. may not walk early), and even stunted growth, loose skin around the butt area, dermatoses or skin diseases etc. This is what malnutrition looks like.

Now that we have our backstory sort of on point (I've tried to make it as simple as possible), let's cut to the chase. Please follow closely, don't get lost. 😊

I think it's interesting how Paul tells the church in Corinth that they are acting like mere humans (vs3). One may get confused, and rightly so because...are we NOT human?? Like are we NOT??

The Bible tells us in (Romans 6:3-5) that we were buried with Christ through baptism unto death, so that just as He was raised we too may live a new life. Mind blowing! This means we died to the flesh and were reborn as children of God (spiritual beings). Therefore it is possible to live life without responding to every "human" or "fleshly" or "worldly" desire we may encounter. We died to that, so the power thereof, the compulsion to obey what the flesh wants has been broken. We now live according to the Law of the Spirit of Life in Jesus Christ.

What the Man of God Paul was trying to put across is this: the people of that church were living according to how they felt, responding to every situation without regard for what the Spirit of God had to say. They were living as unsaved men, behaving just like the people of the world did; worldly in their handling of spiritual things. Why do you think Jesus told His disciples that even though they were in the world they were not of it?? Does that make sense?? Were we not all born in the world?? But here is the mystery: even though we are physically present in the world, we have been born again, so we do not belong to the world (the world here refers to those who do not know God, or have no regard for Him). I don't know if that makes sense😅. Our old self died, and we were reborn in God.

Aps. Paul not only described the church in Corinth as worldly, but he described them as infants. Unfortunately, even though they were on spiritual milk, they were still not showing any signs of growth, they were stagnant. Aps. Paul seemed surprised, he said "you're still not ready". Meaning he expected that at least after being fed on milk for a while, they should have grown enough to handle milk plus complimentary feeds (solid food). But that was not happening. Why is that?

Here is what I believe was happening: The milk of the Word they had received was not being put to use. It's like the parable of the sower, they received the Word and some how along the way lost it, or lost focus of it. They then became spiritually malnourished because they were not benefitting from the feeds. Instead of engaging the Word of God in them by spending more time at His feet, paying attention to the Spirit of God, and allowing the Word to transform them, they resorted to their old ways of handling issues, just like the unsaved. They were malnourished infants with stunted growth, just like malnourished kwashiorkor children.

How did Aps. Paul diagnose this? :- Quarreling and Jealousy. They were having petty arguments over who was greater, Paul or Apollos? They had divided themselves into the Paul's group - Apollos' group, thereby losing sight of the One who laid down His life for their sake.

Quarreling and being Jealous is what baby Christians do. If you're in a church where there's so much of this, just know you're with infants! My dear reader, start ranking yourself too, where do you fall?? Are you following God or human? Is Jesus your focus, or your Pastor? Are you still looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of your faith?? Are you spiritually malnourished?

Ever heard of the Levels of Humour?? A friend shared this with me, made me think really hard about some things. He asked, "Have you ever seen anywhere in scripture where God cracked a joke? Like the way Agya Koo and Lil win do?" I scratched my head a bit, in an attempt to remember the last time I read scripture and found myself giggling. The only memory I could pull up was when God was giving 'savage' responses to the Israelites after they had done something silly. But even in that situation God was being serious, not trying to crack a joke. God does have a sense of humor; it takes a certain level of intimacy or connection to understand and relate to someone's sense of humour.

Some people will watch Agya Koo insult people or Lil win act silly and it will be funny to them, the same won't tickle others. Some will find jokes with sexual references in them funny, some won't. Some jokes aren't 'evil' in any way, people will respond differently. I believe that such reaction is influenced by what we believe in, where and how we grew up, etc. He said, he realised the more he grew in God the more his taste in things got fine-tuned. And we know that this testimony is true! Because as in a mirror we behold the glory of God, we are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory! (IICorinth 3:18)

As you spend more time with God, there are things that just won't tickle you anymore, there are conversations that just won't interest you anymore. As you spend time at His feet, basking in His glory, being transformed by the renewing of your mind, there are certain jokes you'll find distasteful, certain music genres will disgust you, even certain dress styles will repel you. You become transformed!!!

If you're following God, and can't see any tangible changes in your life, from the time you gave your life to Christ till now, start paying attention. Question your growth!

It is those that are led by the Spirit that are SONS of God. SONS of God are those that have matured to where they know the voice of the Shepherd. When He speaks, they hear, comprehend, execute. They keep in step with Him.

It's the SONS whose hands are taught to war, to handle a bow and arrow, to win battles. It's the SONS that stand up in the face of danger, trusting that with God they can leap over a thousand walls, and beat their enemies to dust! It's the SONS that are watchmen over the house of God, over the cities where they live. The SONS don't sleep soundly when there's a war cry.

ARE THERE ANY SONS IN THE HOUSE OF GOD?! The battle cry has been released, nations are under siege, the people of God are being assaulted and wounded by the enemy, kidnappings everywhere, death, young lives being taken, blood being spilled. Can any SON hear the cry?? Can any SON hear the groanings?? Wake up! Creation has been in earnest expectation of the manifestation of the SONS of God.

Where are the SONS of the Father?? The ones bought by His blood, empowered by His Spirit, imbued with authority and power? It's time to grow up. Enough of the bickering and quarreling, and ungodly conversations.

AWAKE SLEEPING GIANT! THE WORLD AWAITS!!

Prayer:

Lord thank You for such a time as this. Thank You for the opportunity to have access to Your Word without restraint. Lord we come before You in all humility, that You will reveal unto us our shortcomings, and the barriers impeding our growth. Help us Holy Spirit to be the sons that we've been called and delivered to be. In Jesus' name, amen!