The Family Business

Many Christians do what we call "serving the Lord". I sense there is an impression that after people accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, therefore becoming a Christian - the call to display their commitment through their lifestyle becomes laborious. Some believers, I feel, may perceive the good works or deeds to be chore oriented and that is their starting-line for serving God.

I believe if this is your perspective as a fellow brother or sister in Christ then it needs some alteration. There is truth in knowing some of the work, deeds or service we will render unto God will be labor intensive. However, when acting on the instruction to fulfill God's personal calling on your life or live a lifestyle set apart for Him, led by the Holy Spirit -believers in Christ should desire to minister unto the Lord at all times from a reference of eternal gratitude. Having the heart and mindset of serving the Lord is proper since He died for us, we should live for Him. From this foundation, whatever the believer does that is in alignment with the Word of God, their service is justified.   

However, at the same moment we are called to served, Christians should be reminded they are not servants. I would like to recall the Lord's own words to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ from John 15:15 -

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

The two words in this verse to magnify are "servants" and "friends". The word "servants" in the original language, doulos (doo-los), means bound slave. The word "friend" in the original language, philos (fee-los) means dear one, fond of. Christians are no longer a slave to sin and fear, but are free as friends of Jesus and of Father God in Christ.

I have heard a saying in our culture that fathers cannot be or should not be friends of their children. This is certainly not exemplified by God the Father. In many passages of Scripture believers in Christ are equated to children of God and John 1:12 is one such verse - 

"Yet to all who did receive him [Christ Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—"

Christians have a Friend and a Father as their God through a relationship with Christ Jesus. The heavy requirement placed upon Jesus for the Christian's salvation and the many blessings since is the reason why believers sing, is the cause for their testimony, is the purpose behind their witness. Believers should no longer serve for the sake of service. Yes, there are rewards promised, but for the eternity that Christ secured for all who believe, serving God is simply part of The Family Business. 

Read The Second Half

I deeply yearn for all believers, especially pastors and teachers of The Word of God to continue reading, out-loud the verse in which they seem to always stop half-way to three-fourths through – 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. These two verses read –

"However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him'--but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."

Paul is quoting Isaiah 64:4 in the majority of this passage with what I glean many instructors of The Word communicate as just no possible way we can know this side of heaven all the marvels that await us in paradise –

'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him'.

Why Not?! First, that is not what Scripture says according to the above verse. The rest of the verse has not been read or considered. Second, you are limiting the power of the Holy Spirit within each believer to do this work - the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead! And thirdly, look at where this verse and idea sit. This verse and idea are located in the middle of a section speaking on Wisdom from The Spirit. By the way, Paul instructs believers in the rest of the verse –

“but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.”

Here is the passage that the verses are located in so that we may all know and appreciate the context of this study.

Wisdom From the Spirit
"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"-- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." - 2 Corinthians 5:6-16

Allow me to magnify some key points in the surrounding verses to support my position and encouragement to Read The Second Half.

We have received - 

"the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us." 

I believe this verse pertains not only to understanding the free gift of salvation provided by Christ Jesus through His death and resurrection, but also to the abundance of wisdom we as believers can grasp through His Holy Spirit, right now, especially concerning things not seen, heard and still future.

Observe the next verse –

"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words."

This verse explains how readers and students of the Bible receive from the Holy Spirit a different, personal application after reading and researching the same passage many times.

The key is to be in The Word in the first place on a regular basis So That the Holy Spirit has a foundation to work with when He desires to reveal something to you. The more a believer practices seeing, hearing and speaking by the Holy Spirit's leading the more mature in that lifestyle he/she becomes.

Next –

"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Remember here, Paul is addressing believers in Corinth with these instructions. After you are "born again" or become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) we still need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit - we need a baptism of His Holy Spirit. Pentecost, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, for the Disciples came after the resurrection and after they believed in Jesus as truly the Son of God (Acts 2:1-4).

Why do believers need this empowering? For the acceptance and discernment of the things of God. Some believers just stop at salvation. That is sad to me because the man/woman with the Holy Spirit leading and guiding them in their lives has a great foundation, a wonderful foothold, an excellent filter to rely on for everything. The next part of the passage continues to support this idea -

"The spiritual man makes judgments about all things,".

With the believer in Jesus being a new creature in Christ and the Holy Spirit within the Christian leading him/her in all truth (John 16:13) the ending of this passage is a very encouraging message for the Christian who walks or lives in the Holy Spirit daily. Believers walking up-rightly have a thought-life governed by The Lord. The last sentence of the passage reads -

"But we have the mind of Christ."

Having the Holy Spirit dwell within the believer and empower Christians grants many things, but among them are - 

1. the mind of Christ, 
2. spiritual discernment, 
3. spiritual enlightenment of The Word and 
4. revelation of the previously hidden things of God!

Assuming you have studied and/or researched the mysterious things of God like the contents found in the books of Daniel and Revelation - the next time you hear someone quote the Isaiah 64:4 part of 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 -

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him--" –

You can say confidently, "BUT GOD HAS REVEALED IT TO US BY HIS SPIRIT." Then afterward you are prepared to tell anyone the findings of your research.

If you have NOT studied the wonders and mysteries of God - past, present, and especially future - in the Bible, then I encourage you to do so. This will be a highly rewarding experience. To get you started studying Scripture correctly, especially prophetic in nature, always use The Golden Rule of Interpretation. The Golden Rule of the Interpretation of Scripture is if the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense seek no other sense.

When you do encounter symbolism or anything else that you do not understand, cross-reference it in the Bible and seek other trusted commentary about that topic and pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance. Just think as you research, God is Revealing His hidden wonders to you by His Holy Spirit as you read, study and research! That is His promise, if you believe and Read The Second Half.

Kingdom And Priesthood Of God

Multiple mention of a certain topic in Scripture is of particular, inspired emphasis by God. For example, God moved on John's spirit to write twice in the book of Revelation on the subject of true Christians belonging to the Kingdom and Priesthood of God.

In Revelation 1:6 it says,

"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen."

Then in Revelation 5:10, this declaration of Kingdom and Priesthood is found in a song that is sung by the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders that stay before God's throne. The lyrics picture a future time when Jesus and those He bought with His blood will reign on earth, but first Christ must bring forth the judgments found in scrolls that He alone is worthy to open the seals to. The words of the song are - 

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:9-10)

Kingdoms refer to regions of property, inhabited by people and governed by a king. Priesthoods refer to a group of people in a leadership role who worship the kingdom's god and assist the people in their worship of the kingdom's god.

In order to grasp a better understanding of these verses and what it means for believers in Christ to be a kingdom and priesthood of God, some Covenant history has to be covered and some Prophetic passages have to be considered.

Covenants are arrangements or agreements between two parties usually on matters of existence between each other. 

God begins with the unconditional Covenant He made with Abraham and his descendants. Within this Abrahamic Covenant, God would be the sole provider of promises for land (Genesis 15:18-21), king (2 Samuel 7:10-16) and the people being blessed (Jeremiah 31:31-37).

Many years later, God established His Covenant through the laws, rules and regulations with Moses known as the Mosaic Covenant. These arrangements with His people were straight calls for obedience. Some commands were special If...then statements or conditional statements. 

However, the first law had no wiggle room, it was a condition that Israel would belong uniquely to Yahweh and would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. God says to His people through Moses in Exodus 20:3 - 

"You shall have no other gods before me."

Hindsight and insight has proven The Mosaic Covenant was a doomed Covenant with all its impossible laws to follow full-time (Jeremiah 31:32). This Mosaic Covenant was always going to be a pre-cursor Kingdom Covenant to the Messianic Covenant, the following New Testament established through Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:24; Romans 3:20; Eph. 2:8-9).

The Messianic Kingdom Covenant is what believers in Christ live under now. Since Christ visited and completed the plan of Salvation, then ascended to the right hand of Father God, Christians have entered what many have deemed The Church Age, The Age of Grace or The Messianic Kingdom. Colossians 1:13 states - 

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,". 

In the past, The Priesthood consisted of a set number of men from the Tribe of Levi and one man within that tribe was the High Priest, the individual allowed to go into the Holy of Holies once every year to atone for all the mistakes of the people. There was no access to God except through this one Priest. 

However, there has been a change. God's Son, Jesus visited and not only took the role of High Priest permanently from the Tribe of Levi or any other person, but was our one-time sacrifice for all sin as the spotless Lamb of God presented before Father God in the Holy of Holies. 

This means the old priesthood is gone, there are no other priests to stand in for humanity. Access to God is now through the Redeemer and Mediator Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Timothy 2:5).

Therefore, the Christian's Purpose is now found in what Hebrews 13:15-16 states as continually offering up spiritual sacrifices or "a sacrifice of praise". The passage reads - 

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

The writer of Hebrews grants believers three life applications in this passage that can be immediately implemented - 

1. Praise God through our word selections but especially words that "openly profess His name".
2. Keep remembering to do good.
3. Share with others.

That was the Covenant history that needed to be covered, now let me reveal some prophetic considerations that go toward understanding the Christian in the Kingdom and Priesthood of God.

Today, individual nations rule their own people. In the future, Scripture prophesies an evil world ruler that especially is destructive toward God's people (Rev. 13:1-8) and will rule for seven years. Afterward, Christ will return with His Bride, the Church which He had raptured seven years or more prior (1 Thess. 4:13-18) and begin His Millennial Reign on Earth (Rev. 19:11 - 20:6). The Old Testament prophet Zechariah prophetically saw this day coming and writes - 

"The Lord will be King over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord and His name the only name." (Zechariah 14:9)

With the future tense references of Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10 mentioned at the beginning of this teaching is there any doubt Christians belong to a better government and superior ministry by God and of God? 

The Messianic Covenant/Kingdom proves the Mosaic Covenant can only be fulfilled by the perfect God-man, Christ Jesus. But wait there is more. The Messianic Covenant/Kingdom honors the Abrahamic Covenant to set-up a fully glorified Christ-centered kingdom and priesthood that is being developed in believers today. 

The holy Covenants in history have been established not only to bring us to this point but to have us look forward to an awesome future with The Lord. This is the purpose of Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10.

Within past kingdoms and priesthoods, people were divided or segregated into one or the other of these categories - kingdoms or priesthoods. If you were a priest, you certainly were a citizen of the kingdom. However, being a citizen of the kingdom did not mean you were a priest. Not every citizen was a priest. God’s sacrificial blood makes His believers, not only citizens of His kingdom but priests or sacred representatives. What do believers represent? A holy government and a holy lifestyle ruled by The Holy Lord – Christ Jesus.

This is what it means to be a part of the family of God, a part of the Kingdom And Priesthood Of God.

The Disciple's Perspective

Try your best to mentally "walk a mile in the shoes" of Christ’s original twelve Disciples. Attempt to see through their eyes the thoughts and feelings they experienced as Jesus broke into their world.

Maybe the magnetism to Christ were His eyes. Maybe it was His voice, He was, after all, the Word of God in flesh! Once someone was a disciple of Jesus, living with Him must have been awesome to be sure, interesting all the time and confusing to a Jewish people expecting a militant Messiah and now receiving a Lamb of God, a suffering servant. 

To hear what He had to say and see the compassionate miracles He poured out on the people would have certainly made you think twice about His messiahship because Isaiah 53:2 says about Jesus, 

"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." 

Yet, there was something about Him that drew the Disciples like a moth to a flame. There was an amazing, supernatural attraction because at the invitation to come follow Him the two brothers in Matthew 4:22 left their boat and father and followed Jesus - "immediately"!

Aside from this incredible, other-worldly pull Jesus had on people - Jesus' public and private teachings must have been unclear at times, if not most of the time, to The Disciples. An unattractive carpenter's son speaking on the things of God and eventually claiming He was the very Son of God Himself, this falls under the category of "things that make you go hmm". 

Of course hindsight is perfect vision and all they had to do and we have to do is look at the fruit or results of Christ's life and you have your answer. This is why I applaud The Disciples for sticking with Jesus throughout all the moments of confusion and fogginess of concept. The Disciples could not have consulted the Pharisees, Sadducees and Teachers of the Law for clarity on what Jesus might have been referring to in His teachings. Those groups of people were so high on themselves that The Disciples would not get an accurate answer.

One thing is remarkably clear - over the experiences and perspectives of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, their individual recordings of the words of Jesus portray a unity of how the disciples heard and understood Jesus when He taught.

The lessons of Jesus were phrased in a particular way when He taught. Some responses by Jesus were guarded at times.

Have you ever said, "I'm going to leave in a minute and I'll be back in a little bit."? Well, Jesus seemed to say this same thing but in His own way. 

"In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me." (John 16:16) 

When the Disciples asked Jesus about not seeing Him for a while, Jesus was once again guarded in His response - John 16:19-24. Then in verse 25 Jesus gives a silver lining to this cloud of code. 

"Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father." 

If I was a Disciple back then I am shouting ''Hallelujah!" about now.

From that unattractive carpenter's son came unclear and down right confusing ideas in other instances. 

Even Jesus' words about becoming His disciple or follower probably seemed cryptic to the Disciples. Consider Mark 8:34-38 - 

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.'" 

Wow Jesus! I don't know about taking up a cross! Who is this "Son of Man"? Is that you? If the Son of Man is you and you are here, how are you going to come back with "the holy angels"? And if you are the Son of Man, why are you speaking in third person again?

Jesus spoke through many styles of language like parables, 3rd person, guarded answers, End of Days imagery, farm analogies and so forth. He used different styles of Code, if you will, to keep hidden, certain revelations, like unification with God by being in the "Vine" (John 15:1-17) or taking in His Word daily by "eating His flesh" (John 6:53-58), etc. 

This Code or veiled language that Jesus seemed to be speaking in and operating from was Father God's Plan of Revelation. In other words, The Code was the delivery method of what to say and when to say it, of what to do and when to do it - to fulfill prophecy concerning Him as the Christ and to teach the disciples The Way. John records Jesus saying,

"For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." (John 12:49-50)

The main message of all that Jesus emphasized at the end of all the Gospels repeatedly is talk about His betrayal, being handed over to the authorities, suffering, death, and resurrection. We definitely observed the Disciples uncertainty about Jesus' words and even fear to ask Him about them. Mark 9:30-32 documents this -

"because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, 'The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.' But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it."

However, God's Plan was that the understanding, The Revelation of Christ's hidden, coded language came after the completion of the Plan of Salvation. All the prophecies foretold Christ's first visit in human form as The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. One example of such a prophecy is found in Isaiah 53. 

This prophecy, among many others, is not a picture of The Lion of the Tribe of Judah who comes later. That view somehow got jumped over The Lamb of God view in the thinking and belief of the Jews. 

As stated earlier, they were expecting their Messiah, their Anointed One to save them from Roman oppression, to set up His kingdom of Righteousness forever, and award them their inheritance before a servant leader. Wrong order.

In John 2:18-22 we begin to receive reasoning of why the Lord spoke cryptically. This passage is when Jesus addressed the Pharisees about destroying the "temple" and He rebuilding it in three days. However, Christ was again using symbolic language with the "temple" meaning His own body. Concerning the Disciples understanding of this dialogue and Jesus' words in particular, the next verse says, 

"After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken." 

The concealed or hidden is now revealed by the Holy Spirit afterward as they recall the events and words that transpired. I believe two major things contributed to The Disciples belief in Christ, besides a risen Savior -

1) what the Scripture had to say about these matters was fulfilled through Jesus and 

2) what Jesus had said was and is Truth.

We know Jesus explained Himself to the two men on the Road to Emmaus from the prophecies of the Old Testament (Luke 24:13-35). We know Jesus appeared to His Disciples many times after He rose from the dead (Mark 16:14; John 21:1; John 21:14) and taught many more things. In fact, John says it like this - 

"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (John 21:25) 

However, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to come once He ascended to the right hand of His Father, so that, among other things, the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth (John 16:13). 

Jesus had Father God's Plan on His mind the whole time. He consulted His Father about everything. His word choice was strangely challenging to everyone, especially His chosen ones, but He knew Revelation was coming. 

Jesus knew all this, but Israel and the disciples were missing who Jesus really was as He visited. Fulfilling prophecy, healing the sick and the demon possessed, raising the dead, speaking in code and even out-right declaring His Messiahship was not enough to remove the heavy, spiritual scales that hung on The Disciple's Perspective.

Present Yourself Before God

In a section of his second letter to Timothy, Paul writes to Timothy about dealing with false teachers. Within this section Paul instructs Timothy to be a believer and leader of believers that not only witnesses before others of God's grace but one that presents himself/herself before God.

2 Timothy 2:15 says,

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 

The Audience of One - God - is who Timothy and all Christians are strongly encouraged to present ourselves to for everything but here especially -

1. approval

2. unashamed-ness in working for God

3. one who correctly handles God's Word

Believers are approved by God through the salvation of Christ Jesus. But after accepting Jesus as personal Lord and Savior, the deeds or works of the believer are continually approved as he/she lives out a faith-filled lifestyle that pleases the Lord.

Our work for the Lord in the secular market place and any work in the realm of Christendom should all be done as unto the Lord. Paul writes in Colossians 3:23 -

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,"

Then anytime we have the awesome opportunity to share God's Word with anyone, let us be careful with it. Just like a regular relationship, the more a Christian is reading and studying The Bible, the more he/she will be likely in correctly discerning the truths of Scripture. Reading it in context, praying to God for insight and considering other trusted Godly sources of knowledge on a passage are great starts to handling The Word correctly.

The point of this verse is to encourage you and me to do those things listed not only because you want others to be drawn into the Kingdom due to your life being a good witness, but a desire to show your love and appreciation to The Lord for Him securing our salvation and continuing to love on us in all His marvelous ways - seen and unseen.  This is why the instruction is to Present Yourself Before God.

God's Approval

In this world of eat or be eaten, the performance-driven society we live in - God interrupts with a gift, His only Son, Christ Jesus for the redemption and reconciliation of humanity to Father God. 

For those ready to accept God's love gift of salvation through Christ Jesus for the rest of eternity by living their life patterned after Jesus, the acceptance of this is straight forward.

For those who are performance-driven and have a hard time accepting gifts, this might be difficult. However, Jesus has paid the price, accepting all of humanity into His kingdom. Now humanity has to decide on the acceptance of Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

From birth, humans seek approval. From some authority figure in our life, whomever that might be, children to the elderly desire to know they are accepted and that they are doing life correctly.

The main pool of sources that humanity has to pick from to receive approval are - the world, the enemy of our souls, our self, others and God. From these sources humanity derives many other things besides approval, such as - our energy level, our decision making, our thought process, our actions and our speech or word selection.

However, before we arrive at the other things being influenced in our lives, we look to others or our additional chosen sources to see how they did a particular part of life. Some of us copy and paste remedies to our situations, others modify and apply appropriately. But we are all continually looking for how to do life better. Many are also looking to be accepted or approved of, in spite of short-comings and failures, along the way.

The next few individuals I want to share with you are who I feel are profound examples of God's applause or Approval.

Probably one of the biggest examples of God applauding/approving someone is when Solomon asked God for wisdom to govern God's people. Solomon did not request long life, wealth, or the death of his enemies and the Scripture records God's response this way - 

"The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this" (1 Kings 3:10). 

In fact, God was so pleased that He granted Solomon his request and what he did not ask for. Solomon seeking the correct thing from God and asking the right question rendered not only God's "yes" answer but extra, so that in Solomon's lifetime he had no equal among kings (1 Kings 3:7-14). What you request of God is an opportunity for heavenly applause/approval that could get blessed beyond measure. Take the time to align your requests with His purposes.

Hezekiah is an old testament figure I would like to sit down with when I get to Heaven. This king did what was right, was modeled after David, removed the High Places or idols, trusted in God, held fast, followed God, and kept the commands of the LORD. His reward - the presence of The LORD, success in whatever he did, and the defeat of his enemies. He would be like no other king before or after (2 Kings 18:3-8). A great king to model.

There was an example of faith that received praise or approval from Jesus that was superior to everyone else. A Centurion soldier had a sick servant and recognized Christ's authority to speak healing anywhere and anytime and requested Jesus not bother with the travel, asking Jesus to heal his servant. The Bible records, 

"When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." (Matthew 8:10) 

Wow! A Centurion got it! Not a teacher of the law, not a disciple, but a Centurion. Authority recognized Authority. What authority do you recognize as governing your life? What authority do you count on for your approval?

Perhaps one of the most grand applause/approval statements that I found was Jesus speaking about His cousin, John the Baptist. 

"I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11) 

I got to this verse and all the other people I studied seemed to diminish as Christ named Himself greatest, then John the Baptist second.

Of course the ultimate applause or praise from God was made not just once, but twice, verbally about His own Son, Jesus. The first time the approval is heard is Christ's Baptism - 

"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17) 

The second time it is recorded is at The Mount of Transfiguration and God adds a little something of importance at the end - 

"While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" (Matthew 17:5) 

It is now, more than ever that the Church and world desperately needs to "Listen to Him!"

These people I present and their lives I magnify are to encourage you and me in the same way as they were applauded. I pray that believers everywhere will practice all the great strengths and positive characteristics that God praised, applauded and/or approved concerning these members of the Kingdom. 

Our Christian life, our Christ-like journey should not and does not stop with our salvation. Like many, the approval I have sought has cycled through several of the sources mentioned. Now, I deeply yearn to hear God say, 

"'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'" (Matthew 25:23) 

I have a craving for God's Approval.

Growth Not Instant Perfection

The lack of technology in humanity's early history caused travel and agriculture to teach us patience and hard work pay off. Both travel and farming, back in the day, were limited by foot, animal, boat or other means due to the large distances of land between peoples.

Places like cities and things like buildings don't just materialize out of thin air or jump off the page into perfect existence after we draw or sketch them to scale. Neither do we observe a son or daughter appear fully grown, healthy and inserted properly in society at the wish of a newly wed couple planning a family.

None of these were instantaneously created or born at their full potential. We have stages to a final product or outcome.

When we look at humans they are born then usually develop physically and mentally over the years in stages to become hopefully a healthy, productive, contributing member of society.

This pattern of first - idea, then plan and creation and development also applies to everyone's spiritual man or woman.

Nicodemus visited Jesus acknowledging Jesus was a teacher from God because of all the signs Jesus was performing. Jesus responded -

“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. - John 3:3

Even though Nicodemus goes on to show he did not understand the meaning of "born again", I believe Jesus was not only teaching here but complementing Nicodemus in saying in between the lines - you would not be coming to me and saying this unless you, Nicodemus, were born again and could see the kingdom of God at work through me. There were not many Pharisees who saw Jesus the way Nicodemus did and sought Him out, and in the middle of the night.

In addition, the word "again" in the phrase "born again" is from the original Greek word that means from above. The phrase then translates - born from above. The Holy Spirit that is in every person is inactive until the point of decision for Lordship of Jesus Christ over their life is expressed. Ephesians 2:1-5 supports this saying - 

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."

Another name, title, or word for "born again" is rebirth or regeneration. The world, potential believers in Christ and those just filling the pews every Sunday need to understand this rebirth, this regeneration is non-negotiable; it is a must. God will not tolerate sinful humanity in His immediate Presence and for His future plans. Jesus mentions this requirement twice in John 3:3, 7. Other Scripture that supports physical birth equipping us for earthly living and spiritual rebirth through Christ preparing us for Heavenly living is found in - Ephesians 2:1; 1 Peter 1:23; John 1:13; 1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18.

Living outside the decision to accept Christ as Lord and Savior of one's life means those individuals continue as deserving of wrath or one translation says "children of wrath" (Eph. 2:1-5). Those people also remain in spiritual prison or bondage, with the devil as the warden, until that decision for Christ is made (Hebrews 9:15). All other options a person may try to fill the spirituality of their life with - God calls those options so empty that they are dead.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." - Ephesians 2:1-2

"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross." - Colossians 2:12-14

In other words..."We don’t need renovation or reformation or reorganization; we need rebirth."(https://www.gotquestions.org/regeneration-Bible.html)

There are other influences in a believer's life that could contribute to any kind of stumbling block besides our own generated mistakes. Christians have the world and its systems and the spiritual enemy of the devil himself to contend with.

However, once salvation is accepted through Christ, everyone must recall the concept of birth, rebirth or regeneration - it is a process, not instant gratification of a desired outcome. Also, this development should not be used consistently as an escape goat for sins. That action, in and of itself is not mature. 

Just remember to continue working out your salvation or faith walk and know that the idea is Growth Not Instant Perfection.