I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 1John2:12-14.
The physical calendar age or years is of little significance in our spiritual life (behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Psalms 39:5) lest we ever think that spiritual growth is measure by it; great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment (Job 32:9): nevertheless, many years can be helpful as period of advantage whereby we benefits from the experiences we’ve gotten or gathered from the years back of our walk with God in this spiritual pilgrimage if we’ve been in the Lord for a while through the ripeness of the fruit of the Spirit in the consistent walk of the spirit, the stability and increase of the fruit in us. Though many have been in the Lord for a while or for so long, but they are not growing, neither are they fruitful but barren in the knowledge of our God; they are blinded and have forgotten that they were purged by the blood of Christ from their old sins because they failed to improve, that they should diligently increase on those things in them such as faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity to make their calling and election sure. 2 Peter 1:5 – 11. Note: these are the fruit of Christ-​likeness and Christ-​mindedness which requires conscious laborious devotion to tend the growth thereof, to blossom and bud through mindful manifestation of those outward spiritual picturesque (attractive in appearance) of Christ in our daily conversation and comportment and in our earnest, guilt free expectation of divine approval and recommendation into the grace of God which has saved us and of which we are called to be strong therein.
Some believers according to the scriptures are instructed in the knowledge of God in the form of godliness, but because they give no diligence to add those things as listed above, they deprive themselves and switch off the activate power to effectuate the manifestation of the regeneration wrought in them by the power of the Spirit of God from a new spiritual babe of a new creature into an adulthood measure of the fullness of Christ, unto a perfect man in him. They are always spiritually weak and lame; always in need of spiritual pampering to be taught the same thing over and over again. Instead of daily inward changes and growth by doing those things which becomes the righteous man personal responsibility (Psalms 1:1 – 3) whose delight is in the word of God; and in his word he meditate day and night that he might be like the tree planted by the rivers of water to bring forth his fruit in its season, but they have chosen not to search the scriptures by themselves and be taught by God for personal growth and manly understanding instead of stunted growth to remain spiritual babes in understanding (brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 1 Corinthians 14:20): they would not move forward from the elementary principles of the doctrines of Christ to spiritual growth and perfection in him (Hebrews 5:1 – 2): they’ll give many reasons and excuse to wrest and strive against the word of God instead of acting with eagerness and earnestness in meekness of obedience as men who are thirsting and hungry after righteousness that they might be filled all because the word has never been mixed with faith in them. They considered and judged every good desire and laborious zeal on the part of their teachers meant to bestir and move them along as an attempt to put pressure on them, or to persuade or coerce them into doing something which has never been done before because they are spiritually unstable, stubborn and self– willed like king Agrippa, who expressed before apostle Paul you almost persuade me to be a Christian (Acts 26:27): though these are in Christ, but they are resisting the works of the spirit of grace in them to grow up unto their head in all things, which is Christ. This is the profile, characteristics and nature of a rebellious spiritual adults, ever learning, but never able to come into the full knowledge of truth.
God is not interested with man’s age to decide upon whom he should bestow his grace, anointing and promotion. Samuel was young but obedient and submissive to God’s word from the commencement of his life and was placed over Israel to rule and judge them as a spiritual father after the death of spiritual mentor — Prophet Eli. By the way, David was the last son of his father’s (Jesse) children but his spiritual intimacy (this is the key to spiritual maturity and growth) understanding of God, previous experiences with God, and faith in God was far above the spiritual growth, understanding, experience and faith of his brothers combined together in God. Note: let men grow and change in their thinking, we increasingly become more and more on the outside of whatever we devout and direct more of our time, life and energy to (now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplatethe Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-​increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.Acts 6: 4. 2 Corinthians 3:16) which will transmits positive or negative power of influence of such things towards others according to the proportion of time devoted.
Give yourself continually unto godliness to gain the perfect and complete profitable rewards of it in this present world and in the world to come; and you’ll grow increasingly in the same with its fruits and blessings: and give yourself continually to prayer and the ministering of the word, and you’ll have the same reward of the early apostles that walked with great grace and great power and authority pulverizing kingdom and power and darkness to set the captives free and turned their world of darkness upside down. Jeremiah 6:19. 1Timothy 4:7 – 8.
David was chosen and anointed as king because God bypassed his eldest brothers by choice: Solomon, the beloved of his God was made to sit upon the throne of David in the place of Adonijah who was the firstborn, Absalom and others who were born before him to show that if men were given the grace to grow up in the Lord, they should make themselves strong in it, lest they received it in vain; lest it be taken away from them and is given to another nation who will grow it and bring forth fruit unto God.
No one should play old age card in the kingdom to disrespect or despise the young– spirit filled matured authority set over them in the church. Though it is required that the young should submit to the elder; likewise should the elder or church leader treat others with humility and respect, while we must all acknowledge and respect those that are in the Lord before us, who have spoken the word of the Lord to us, and whose faith to follow as good examples; God resist the proud, but he give grace to the humble: salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-​prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Romans 16: 7. Hebrews 13:7.
We shall, if it pleases God, speak today of the three elements, attributes and characteristics of our spiritual growth in the kingdom: to labor and strive to speak of the Lord’s expectations of individual’s responsibility and accountability to grow up in the Lord: to speak also of the displeasure of the Lord against any fruitless tree or plantation in the kingdom in regards to the purpose of their beings or planting: the daily labor which the husbandman bestows continually on them of his daily early dew (I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, what have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found. Hosea 14:4 – 8) sent from heaven to ensure spiritual freshens, renewal and empowerment for seasonal fruitfulness in a healthy spiritual lifestyles and growth according to their standing and position of their spiritual stages of growth and development in the kingdom — children, young men and fathers.

1. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. I write unto you little children because you have known the Father. 1 John 2:12. 1 John 2:13c. Isaiah 40:11.
   The knowledge of little children as explained earlier about the father is elementary, base, foundational and fundamental lacking any practical experience (s). It’s all about reminding the little children over and over again to the end that their heart should be settled and restful in God; and they should be rooted and established in the redemptive love and forgiveness of Christ: that they should see themselves as new creatures who is blessed to be turned away from sins and unto whom God will not impute iniquities: that they are now in the New Testaments covenant established by Christ blood to purge their conscience from dead works that they might serve the living God of which Christ is now made a surety of it: that their sins and iniquities shall not be remembered again before God because old things are gone away and everything is new. That they should forgive themselves of whatever blackness and dirtiest past sins and iniquities were; to see them as those things they should now be ashamed to think or talk or brag around about as things done in ignorant and in unbelief (for when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. Romans 6:20 – 21) which things are now buried, and should not be exhumed from the grave of baptism unto Christ, having forgiven them all trespasses, when they were buried with him baptism, in putting off the body of sins: but God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved them, even when they were dead in sins, hath quickened them together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) and hath raised them up together, and made all to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward all through Christ Jesus.
   These are the young converts, lambs of the Lord’s flocks, unstable in the word of righteousness and unfamiliar with any of the realities of the kingdom’s trials, power, and spiritual warfare or of the necessity of patience to walk with God, but as of now, everything is smooth and before they cry Abba father their need is supplied instantly and they have the joy in the knowledge they have known the everlasting all sufficient God who supply all need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. They should not be at the front row at the all-​night Friday’s prayer meeting lest they should abandon it or run away at the next all night meeting; neither should they be given the platform of the altar to preach because they are eloquent or gifted with spiritual gifts, lest they should be lifted up with pride and fall under the condemnation of Satan (1 Timothy 3:6) neither should they be placed at the front line to lead outreach evangelism; but should be driven or lead gently from behind (let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goes before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir. Genesis 33:14)until they are shall be able through learning of obedient instructions received under a mentor or tutorial grow and become strong in faith and other spiritual developments with boldness which is in the faith of Christ Jesus in continual prayers, encouragement and counsels Christ is formed in them. Galatians 4:19.
   Though are born again, the spiritual children are carnal and are not spiritual: they do dumb things and commit unforced errors as children born of natural parents: spiritual life is funny and playful to them: they speak as worldly men with lots of fleshly traits which is going to take some time to be mortified through the help of the Spirit of God. Their prayer life and time is not regular as they struggle to find balance to read the bible consistently and pray day and night as required of a spiritual adult, that they might put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
   They found it difficult (because they are not going closer to the older and spiritual brethren to establish a new relationship and camaraderie in the Lord. 2 Corinthians 6:14 – 18. 2 Timothy 2:22) to separate from the old ungodly sinner’s friends which are still after them for continuation in mutual ungodly friendship, but are counting is strange that they are not joining them again into the same reckless wild living. 1 Peter 4:1 – 4.
   They are like the new born baby at home which the mother must wake up at the middle of the night to check how she’s faring, they must be followed up with love, lest the labor bestows on them perish. They are just mastering how to walk acceptably and to please God: they can easily fall and rise again because they are the beginners, learning how to walk steadfastly with a step at a time to become the strong and young responsible adults in the Lord.
   Can you remember those days when you are cleaning up your infant child who is robbed all over again with soup, chocolate all over the new cloth with some other dirt for five to six times in a day? Thus the spiritual babes messed things up with their lives, and they stagger because they are just learning to walk, and they stumbled over and over again in the highway of holiness: they are not strong and upright in the ways of the Lord because they’ve not mastered the art to pray and watch not to fall into temptation as an upright man (Hosea 14:9): for them apostle John have this to say: my little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 1:1 – 2.
   Everything about little children is just to lay again the foundation of repentance from dead works (Hebrews 6:1) and to confess sin that with faith in God, he will forgive until they are weaned from milk to arise from their spiritual sleep of death and to awake to righteousness to stop sinning (Ephesians 5:11 – 14) by the quickening power of the scriptures calling them to mortification of the works of the flesh and yielding to the Spirit of God through the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus who has set them free from the law of sin and death: little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother. 1 John 3:7 – 10.
   In the letter to the Hebrews chapter 5 verses 12 – 14, we read: for when for the time you ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. For the little children to grow in the Lord’s divine nature and fulfill their call to virtue and glory, they must desire strong meat as reasonable adults, able to differentiate right from wrong, and good from bad to increase in the growth of the knowledge of him whose divine power has given unto us all things that pertains to life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:3.
   The narration of the apostle is very clear: (1) that these brethren of a long while in the kingdom, but are very slow in understanding and growth; hence they are not occupying the position of growth they ought to be in the kingdom (to lead or teach other coming after them – the first becoming the last scenario in the kingdom) but are still occupying the position of a new beginner and learner of basic, fundamental, rudimentary and foundational things about Christ ever since their conversion. (2). They’re lacking enthusiasm and desire for strong meat; hence, the cause of spiritual retardation of growth among those who have chosen not to grow spiritually though they were of age and has matured in the flesh – to this group of people he exhorted to be children in malice but in understanding to be men: if otherwise, God will write them among the class of the condemned itching ear believers. 2 Timothy 4:3. (3). That spiritual milk is for those that are not ready to grow up strong in the Lord and in the power of his might that they should move on to the next phase of their spiritual life and growth as it should be. (4). The Apostle, putting into consideration, reminded them of their calendar age as responsible adult men and women who should be able to discern right from wrong, he therefore encouraged them to longs for and ask for strong meat — undiluted word of God and to stop wasting their time living and acting as new converts or spiritual babes in order to hasten their growth in the Lord. Note: retardation in spiritual growth is likely to occur, but to cease to grow from spiritual infancy to spiritual adulthood and to spiritual fatherhood (1 Corinthians 4:15) is unimaginable and unpleasant to God who is committed to the growth and fruitfulness of his vineyard (in that day sing ye unto her, a vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me. He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. Isaiah 27:2 – 6) but of which he will be obliged to cut off any dead and unfruitful branch therein. Note: all are called to come just as they are in the sinfulness, uncleanness and ungodliness; but none should remain for so long in the kingdom without the proof of such fruit worthy of repentance and growth in the righteousness and holiness of God: for the Lord knows the ways of the righteous, but way of sinners shall perish. Luke 3:8 – 9.
   Show me the parents who will not go to any length to protect their innocent and naïve kids from the strangers and from the dangers out there in the world: then I will show you a corrupt and fake pastor who will not preach against worldliness and false teachers, teachings and heresy to warm the flocks under him? Little children are inexperienced and they can easily be abused and exploited by false brethren or the wolves in sheep clothing in the church; they can easily be deceived by false teacher of smooth talkers and flattering words if they do not abide in the anointing that teaches into all truth (1 John 2:26) lest being tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine as children as they are (Ephesians 4:14), they should be turned aside unto vain jangling and unto fables, even unto another gospel and another Jesus.
   You have read the Lord’s expressions such as ‘little ones or little children’….little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. John 13:33.
   Here, Jesus speaks in respect to his spiritual authority and shepherding care and responsibility over his disciples. He addressed them as his little children and obviously some were not younger than him in the flesh, but for the position of his relationship with God as their spiritual head he thus spoke. The terms ‘little children’ is a spiritual language and expression to classify and clarify the position of relationship and growth in the kingdom such as in 1 Corinthians 4, verses 15 and 16: for though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
2. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one: I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 1 John 2: 13-14.
   The spiritual young men are ready to go anywhere and to do anything for the Lord: as it appears, they are very strong, mobile and ready to go. 1 Corinthians 16:13.
   By the way, they’ve witnessed and participated in many deliverance ministrations, and have seen demons screaming and departing from their victims through the eyes of faith in the authority of the name of Jesus. They can testify to laying their hands on the sick and the sick instantly healed. They are strong in the grace which is in the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Timothy2:1) but many are strong without wisdom in their zeal without mature knowledge for proper conducts and behaviors to do all things decently and in order under the supervision, counsels and sharing of experiences from the fathers and mentors.
   Some of them like king Rehoboam the son king Solomon (1 Kings 12:8) will blindly reject the counsels of the elders to their own destruction to hearken to the counsel of the young men of their age with zeal but also lack spiritual experiences as they also are to bring reproach to the name of Christ through comportments of spiritual unbroken-​ness, while some of them are dying as if they were not anointed with oil as the result of over righteous: wisdom is better than strength, even as light excels darkness.
   Young men are spiritually ambitions (and it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: Joel 2:28) and they are men of visions and goal-​getters (energetic, determined to be successful, and able to deal with new or difficult situations easily) but if they don’t walk surely to work with God’s timing, they’ll become murderer, liars and manipulators, true but false leaders like Moses who entered into ministry without the fullness of time only to run away from Egypt for a while (Acts 7:23) and if God’s hand is not strong and steady on him, he may end up losing the real call and ministry for lesser glory and duties as the result of nervous excitement, false steps and wrong timing.
   They want to do everything and get themselves involves in all activities which is not possible because there are many members in the body with different functions, just as Moses was counseling the Israelis alone from morning until evening all alone without any support from the elders before his father in law delivered him from his self destructive-​zeal through wise and elderly counsel. They know their spiritual right and power over Satan and over the kingdom of darkness because they can see Satan as lightening from down from heaven. They know their victory is non-​negotiable in Christ with the knowledge that they are raised by God and were made to sit with Christ in heavenly praises to overcome the wicked one. They are bold and shall be happy to exercise their spiritual authority in the kingdom if only they do so with godly humility and spiritual contentment, and not to stretch themselves beyond their measure or to boast of things without their measure according to the measure of rule which God has distributed to them without measuring up with others in contentious spirit with higher authority and power in the church to become arrogant and rebellious by seeking great things for themselves like the Koran, Dothan and Abiram did against Moses and Aaron before the Lord, only to be destroyed by God through the judgment and punishment of an earth quake. Note: none can grow from one stage (little children, young men and fathers) into another phase of spiritual growth and fruitiness in the kingdom except they increase and grow in obedience, grow the fruit of the spirit, and increase in humility and submission to one another and to those above them, who are over them in the Lord.
   Young men are daring, adventurous and audaciously bold as lion in the righteousness of Christ to do exploit in the kingdom like Jonathan and his amour bearer. They are not afraid of anything like the little spiritual children in the Lord who should be reminded that they are of God and have overcome the enemy as the one who now lives in them is greater than the one who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4.
   The young men know this quite well as they seek and speak to bring the presence and power of that greater one in them into manifestation to liberate the world of sin and darkness. They are ready and willing to go anywhere for the Lord because they are physically fitted, mentally strong and are spiritually equipped for the mission field: wherever the ability and courage of the fathers are waning because of age or any other issues, the young men can be trusted to step up and filled in the gap to make the fathers rejoice that their labor is not in vain over the young men in the faith who are now arising to the occasion to defend the honor and glory of the kingdom of Christ and of the house of God.
   Spiritually young men in the faith will stand on the promises of God to claim and seek immediate access for their fulfillments, except that some of those promises are meant for latter days to make patience have its perfect works in them so that they should be complete, lacking nothing in experience as they move towards spiritual fatherhood.
   They are like Jesus at the age of thirty filled with the Spirit and the word when the devil approached to tempt him; but will resist the tempter with the written word to declare it is written, it is written and it is written as long as it would takes the enemy to bow and back-​off because they are loaded with the word of God in the heart: this is the source of their strength and victory over and against the wicked one – the word of God abides in them. They are not easily deceived like the spiritual children by the sleight of men, and of cunning craftiness of false teachers and of the false prophets such like little children can easily fall a prey or victim to prophetic manipulations, conspiracy of deceitful spirit, but will prove all things to hold on to the good and throw away the bad. Ephesians 4:14.
   They are filled with all knowledge able to teach and admonish others in the kingdom because the word of Christ is dwelling in them richly in all wisdom. They are stronger than the little children, but are inexperienced like the fathers in the Lord. They are zealous and fervent in the spirit; but very sadly, they’re lacking the maturity and experiences needed to handle crisis and sometimes messed things up in the ministry or in the congregation by their overzealousness; unless they are wise enough to listen to the counsel of the wise and of the aged in the Lord. Sometimes they don’t want to work with God’s time table because they think time is wasted like Moses once thought and forced himself to do what’s not appropriate for him to do at a wrong time in Egypt.
   In spite of their usefulness, engagement and involvements for the Lord, the spiritually young men are admonished to be serious with their salvation and to guard against any root of bitterness springing up that may trouble them: not thoughtless and haste, but be obedient and humble to the church authority despite their gifts, ability and contributions to the local church…..young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. Titus 2:6.
   (C.) I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning…I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. 1 John 2: 12 – 14.
   Note: older men or women are but what they are in the flesh and in the Lord if they are not qualified to be spiritual fathers and mother as people to be attended unto and treated like your biological parents with all respects such that they deserves: rebuke not an elder, but interact him as a father, and the younger men as brothers; the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. 1Timothy5:1 – 2.
   A young believer who has been called into the ministry and well instructed, trained and qualified as an under-​shepherd over a local church like Timothy and Titus is never a spiritual father over those who are before him in the Lord in as much as it was not possible for Timothy to claim or exercise any spiritual authority over his mother Eunice and his grand-​mother Louis who are in the Lord before him, whose faith and prayer birthed him into the kingdom.
   Spiritual fathers are wise and are well instructed in all spiritual matters, having been instructed from the beginning – they know him that is from the beginning. Their longevity in the flesh and duration in the Lord should teach wisdom and give godly counsels. Whatever spiritual children and the youths are presently going through, the father’s has once been there and they can comfort them with the comfort they had once received from God from such adversity. Whatever the mistake made by the spiritual children and youth, a spiritual father has once been partaker thereof with first class knowledge of such mistake and the sweet experience of restoration and pardon to strengthen others afterward. They are in the best position to help the youth navigate through the strange and unknown spiritual terrain because they’ve passed along such in the past triumphantly. They are full of tenderness, patience and gentleness of heart, looking forward to enter into the eternal joy of their Savior. They possess hidden treasures of instructions of life for babes and young men in the Lord, hence the bible exhorts the children to hearken to the father’s instructions because many secret of the Lord is with them.
   Consider the apostle’s repetition of the commendation of his praises to the fathers….they known him (God) that is from the beginning. This is the testimony of their devotion and fellowship with God, revealing and speaking of their many years of self-​denial and sacrificial lifestyles experiences they have gained in their walk and fruitful years of walking after the Lord in a laborious spirit in the word of God: days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
   If you asked them of the years of the right hand of the Most High, the spiritual fathers shall recounts the numberless goodness and unending faithfulness of God to amaze and stir up your pure mind that you may lay hold of his unsearchable greatness and infinite understanding for yourself. They are always in the mode of God’s present rest; even though the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; spiritual fathers are always in the waiting, resting and in quietness where divine strength could be found: they are not agitated like young men; but gentle and calm in any crisis and in the storms of life because they have known him that is from the beginning to be still and quiet because he is God who never fail.
   Spiritual gifts and manifestations are not the perquisite requirements to attain to the stage of spiritual fathers in the kingdom. It’s absurd and unimaginable as one of the follies and madness in those so called Pentecostal churches when a man for his spiritual gifts is being addressed as papa or father.
   There is no need to tell a spiritual father to keep himself from the idols of the world in the lusts thereof (1 John 2:15 – 17): but for the little children and young men, this is a matter of constant reminder that they should keep themselves from idols as people called out of the world and are delivered out of it: that they should in no wise and in no way be conformed to it. 1 John 5:21. Romans 12:2.
   Their old age is not of any disadvantage of spiritual limitations or impediment to impact others. Children and young men should seek for the blessings and supports of the fathers in the kingdom; as it is written, listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old (Proverbs 23:22): they are blessed with their crown of glory (Proverbs 16:31) and they are alos blessed for being planted in the house of God to flourish in the courts of our God; they shall bring forth fruits in the old age: they shall be fresh and flourishing, to show that the Lord is upright. Psalms 92:13 – 15.
   Old men shall dream dreams with clarity of understanding: but unlike any other counsels, the instructions of a father should be carefully and prayerfully scrutinize even as Jethro (Moses father in law) wisely admonished him after his godly and fatherly counsel in the wilderness……..And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, what is this thing that thou doest to the people? Why sitting alone and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? And Moses said unto his father in law, because the people come unto me to enquire of God: hen they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. And Moses’ father in law said unto him, the thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: be thou for the people to God-​ward, that thou may bring the causes unto God: and thou shall teach them ordinances and laws, and shall show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Moreover thou shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: and let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shall do this thing and God command thee so, then thou shall be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. Exodus18:14-24.
   The good spiritual fathers will rejoices to embrace the works and operations of God in the younger life to support him as much as possible to the glory of God, and to witness and to confirm the works of God to encourage others even as Simeon gave witnessed to the works and glory of God concerning the baby Jesus when he met him with his parents at the temple for the first time.
   Good spiritual fathers see the children and the young in the Lord as their future spiritual generations, the continuation of their works and labor in the Lord: they will not hold back any profitable secret from them to prepare and equip them for the future.
   There are also evil and selfish spiritual fathers like the old prophet at Bethel that deceived the young prophet sent to prophecy against the altar of Jeroboam and eventually destroyed his and ministry and life, especially when they see the spiritually young operating in the anointing they themselves have never gotten neither experienced. Note: personal knowledge, understanding and the inner Spirit’s conviction of God’s dealing with us is crucial in the stewardship and accountability of our vocation and relationship in the face our encounter and dealings either with the children, young men or the fathers in the kingdom — if you are wise, you shall be wise for thyself. Proverbs 9:12.