https://odb.org/MY/2023/03/07/never-too-far
When I was a younger Christian at my previous church, we had different levels of bible studies, which was a way for the church to gauge spirituality and thus leadership potential. So the basic was ‘Favourite Verse’, and then we were supposed to progress to ‘Four Questions or 4Q’, but at the top, it was ‘EA’ or ‘Exposition & Articulation’ if I’m not mistaken. EA was very much a method to seek the Lord in the Word for preaching and, at the highest level, involved the reading of a whole book of the bible with a focus on a chapter and then a passage. So, the context of the logos Word will definitely be safeguarded. These were basically bible study methods but was used also as a gauge for the level of our relationship with God in terms of our spiritual level. Of course, real spirituality lies within us and the character that we have become in Christ in terms of the Fruit of the Spirit. But what’s inside is unseen to the naked eye. Thus, the external manifestation was used as a guide. Flawed, but we are human, even in the church and ministry.
Later, when what was really within the leadership of the church came all out in the open in terms of their disposition towards money and its distribution among the founders and the rest of the full-time workers, the church split and many among us who were training to be future leaders at the bottom of the pile were disillusioned. Many left the ministry, ceasing to serve God altogether, and there were those who even left the faith. Some remained out of the church system for many years, preferring to worship God solo. Of course, there were others who were unperturbed and went on to achieve great things for God.
During my circa eight years there, I was at the basic level of spirituality – the FV (Favourite Verse) crowd. A future leader, perhaps but not one yet, by far. Nevertheless, I have persevered on and have now served God one way or another for nearly 40 years. I think it is ok to be at the basic level if we are able to keep at it without leaving the faith. Maybe not the best as we should be progressing, but fauthfulness must count towards something in the eyes of God.
But if the converse is true of us, that is, we were at the ‘EA’ level when younger but became disillusioned and left ministry or even church altogether; it is time to look into seriously returning to serving Jesus. Peter, the boldest of all Jesus’s disciples and the first leader among the Apostles, once denied Christ 3 times. We read in Luke 22:62 that Peter wept bitterly when he couldn’t rise up to the occasion to stand with Jesus at the critical moment and was instead gripped with fear and trepidation and denied Christ.
Did the Lord forgive Peter thereafter? Yes, He did as Peter was the pillar of the early church, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, he even raised Tabitha from the dead after she died and had been prepared for burial. Peter was the one who said to the man crippled from birth, silver and gold I do not have but in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! See Acts 3:6.
It doesn’t matter what happened in those intervening years after we ceased serving God. What matters is that we return to Him now and start serving Him again. Not one day, but now. Start serving God again in whatever capacity as prompted by the Holy Spirit. We may have lost our youth to the world or our own desires of the flesh, but it’s in the past. Start afresh today, and emulate Peter, who rose from the ashes of shame to be a trusted lieutenant of Christ! In fact, Peter was a general in faith!
Ronnie's Thoughts 