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Spiritual Growth

Knowing Christ

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The key to living a life pleasing to the Lord is to develop a more intimate relationship with Him. It is through daily communion with God that the union is strengthened.  There are no shortcuts in the process of growth. There are no “how to” books on arriving at holiness.  Time must be taken to develop a closer relationship with God. In order to live a life worthy of God’s calling, it is essential to grow in the knowledge of who God is and what He has accomplished through the cross, and then apply the scriptural truths to one’s life.

Is your faith stronger today than it was yesterday? a week ago? a year ago? When do you take the time to develop your relationship with God? Do you regularly set aside time to read His Word? spend time in prayer? If you’re not seeking God today, when will you start? Why not spend some time with God right now?

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What pests are hindering your growth?

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And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ– to the glory and praise of God. (NIV) Philippians 1:9-11

Recently while inspecting one of our orange trees I found thousands of little bugs eating away at the new leaves. Left untreated these nasty pests would devour all the young leaves on the tree. Fortunately, I had the right pesticide on hand and drenched the little culprits. Within a couple of days the bugs were gone – for good hopefully!

Left unchecked our spiritual lives can be devoured by nasty little pests! Pests like unforgiveness, unbelief, an uncaring heart, being unreceptive to God’s Word. . .pests like selfishness, greed, anger, jealousy . . .pests like lack of contentment, lack of joy, lack of prayer, lack of love. The pests in our lives may look like casual incidentals, just “small little” sins. After all, you think: “I live a better life than my neighbors!” But, just as one small insect began the threat to all new growth, one “small” sin will slow down or even bring to a halt, further spiritual growth.

What are the pests in your life? What is hindering your spiritual growth? And how do you treat those pests so that growth can begin again? Go to God now and ask Him to reveal to you anything that is sin in your life (Psalm 139:23). . .and no matter how big or how small. . .confess that sin to God and ask Him to forgive you and change you (1 John 1:9).

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“Breathing Out” Praise for God

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Here’s another insight on praising of God. In response to the question “Why praise?” is another question, “Why breathe?.”  Praising God is as essential to spiritual health and growth as breathing is to our physical well being.

As we breathe out our praise to God, we can then breathe in the further blessedness of who He is. A Christian who has shallow spiritual breathing can trace the problem to his heart, the center of his emotions. In the physical realm, heart failure results in shallow breathing with serious consequences unless the heart problem is recognized. So too in the spiritual arena.

King David said it well in Psalm 26:2, “Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind. . .”  Then with David again, we can rejoice and praise God as he said in Psalm 28:6-7: “Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”

By God’s grace may we all “breathe praises” to God and have “leaping hearts!

Written by Neil Glass used with permission.

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Throw It Off!

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Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (NIV) Hebrews 12:1

To win the race it takes more than just running with endurance. The author of Hebrews writes that we are to throw off everything that hinders us. We are to get rid of all encumbrances and entanglements. An encumbrance is excess weight for the runner. The Greek custom was to strip off clothes to run unencumbered. They wanted to get rid of anything that hindered their progress.

We are also instructed to throw off every entanglement, anything hindering or preventing progress toward spiritual maturity. Specifically we are to “throw off” the sin that entangles us. Notice that this is not something God does, this is what we do daily. For us, in our race of faith, encumbrances could be procrastination, lack of mental discipline, impatience, not forgiving others, indifferent attitudes, jealousy, gossip, selfish ambition, or any sin that God brings to your mind.

It is Christ’s death on the cross that enables us to come to Him, confess our sins, and claim forgiveness. A look back with acknowledgment of what Christ has done for you will motivate you in your forward progress in your own race of faith. Looking back to the Cross is the motivation to keep looking to the future…to run with endurance.

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The Richest of Fare

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How are you feeding your hunger?

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (NIV) Psalm 119:103

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (NIV) Isaiah 55:1-2

For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (NIV) John 6:33-35

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (NIV) John 6:51

This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” (NIV) John 6:58

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (NIV) 1 Peter 2:2-3

I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. (NIV) Job 23:12

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (NIV) Deuteronomy 8:3

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