A comparison I read this morning of how the world and Christians approach people is correct to a good degree. The world can be more forgiving than a lot of Christians. I commented that maturity is the key to turning Christians around into more compassionate people. In ignorance (not stupidity), Christians tend to be harsh with people of their own kind in need. I’ve commented several times over my lifetime walk as people that eat their own.

The problem lies in the fact that many never grow beyond a certain point and never consider that God is always testing us to be open to His ways so that we may mature in Him.

I Thess 5:11 – The word “edify” implicates “to promotion & growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness.

Maturity is the end product of practicing this. Our minds should be ever-renewing in His strength. In other words, we need to be flexible or pliable in his hands as clay on the potter’s wheel. We need to realize that there are two hands in the formation of the pot. One on the inside is in type the Holy Spirit and the other on the outside is the 5-fold ministry. All Christians need to be aware of this and act according to those “hands” that shape us.

In the end, we will be a pot to pour what is contained within us which is the water of life. And it won’t be anything but what God wants for our fellow Christians as I Thess 5:11 states.

How do we do this? Hebrew 10:25 says we should assemble ourselves together. We all attribute that to going to church in a congregation.

I see it from the standpoint of a yard of building material with “workers” assembling people into their calling as a part of the “assembly” or building. Do you want to see the New Jerusalem? Start the assembly process by practicing I Thess 5:11. Grow up (mature) in Him and you will see just that coming down out of Heaven.

We need to stop playing church and be the church.