Spiritual Growth (3)

As I was meditating prayerfully for my personal spiritual uplifting, the Spirit of the Lord started reminding me of the essentials that are profoundly paramount to spiritual growth.

If we must truly grow in understanding and gaining knowledge of God, everything about us must be absolutely divine or godly in orientation; and that means, God Himself in His personality must intrinsically rule over us; it still implies, that one’s devotion to God and duty to Him must never be interfered with and corrupt by the viruses of various human, worldly and devilish tendencies and infirmity situations. 

We must therefore insistently and constantly free ourselves from such interferences and corruptness of the mind, the influences of the surroundings and the general orientations that had beclouded our spiritual sensitivity and judgment to the level of total bleakness!

We must fight the good fight of faith with all determined resolution, until the spirit within us or one’s heart becomes subservient to God’s Kingdom instructions.

1Cor 16:13 – “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”            

1 John 5:6 – “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.”

1Tim 6:12 – “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

It is important to note that the unavoidable requirement or condition to spiritual growth is one’s conscious heart’s release for the Holy Spirit to spontaneously do the work and also be submissive to His guiding principles and practice. 

It is our personal willingness or eagerness (a hunger) to allow Him help us and introduce us to His warmness, beauty or glory and power. We must also discover the role He had promised to play in our lives as we seek to please Him in the Christian stewardship. Notably of His promises are;

John 16:7 – “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”   

It was for the benefit of the church that Jesus had to return to the Father, because that was the only way through which we shall be sufficiently effective in ministry by the coming of the Helper. If we now refused to permit Him to Help us, to what value is our ministry?

John 14:16-18 – “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

For further Reading and Practice:

Lk 24:49; John 14:17,26; 16:7,13; Acts 1:4,8; 2:33; 1Cor 2:14; Heb 8:10-11; 1John 2:20,27; 4:6; 5:6; etc.

PAST MEMORIES

One of the forces the New Orientation attacks is our past. So many histories need a rewrite; that is, a lot need to be completely erased or deleted from the memory compartments of our brains or minds. Ordinary effort to do this will remain to no avail. By human efforts to change, many had ended up more devastated than they started; they had added more ills to their weaknesses.

In the bid to change for better, many have read more books; sought for assistance from people who are considered as authorities in their fields of learning. Unfortunately, we have failed to realize how frail the human best can fail! We have to learn to accept the reality that no matter how brilliant and sophisticated man can be, no one can match with God's ability and authority.

1Cor 2:14 "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."



 The libraries of the world can inform and educate us, but they can never transform our spiritual faculties into the divine. We are simply obliged to return to the Manufacturer of the human existence for a renewed mind. Returning to Him enables us gain more access to His nature; taking quality time at His feet can make us product of the supernatural; here we find rest and ease to live a tranquil life style to the glory of God Almighty in Jesus' name!

Science vs God

Ordinary mortals had over the centuries fight the existence of God. They had appeared in different features; some with outright denial of God (atheists), while others with hypocritical faces, who carry the form of godliness but denying the God of power. (2Tim 3:5).

Over time now the knees of the contenders against God should have sweated so much with trembling by His unquestionable reality. We do not have to make any deep research to prove this. It is well established that the efforts of philosophical arguments had gone down the drains already. 

1Cor 3:18-20  "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; and again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.'"  NKJV

By now many who doubted God had run back to Him for the evidences of His great power to heal, save, and deliver in the name of His Son Jesus Christ. Miracles of God in Christ's name that had swept over the four corners of the world today are beyond disputes. Great contenders of faith in God have surrendered their weapons to having faith in the Almighty God they had despised!

Medical science had given up expertise pride and are on a daily basis embracing the wonder working God through Christ Jesus. They experience and testify of divine healing, demonic captives being set free, miraculous blessings beyond measure. (Phil 4:18,19)

All God is saying, I believe, Men should return to Him for wisdom, knowledge and receive grace to function in Him supernaturally; this divine provision was originally bestowed on us. (Gen 1:26-31)          

YOUTH RENEWED

The hopelessness that show on the faces and general behaviors of the younger generation is a very clear evidence of what had been offered to them from the various backgrounds they come from. The world's perception and concepts of success had been deceptive and traditional orientations had well misinformed these young potential instruments for transformation; and we are seeing the repeat of the unfortunate mishap over the decades.

The deception of false hope in just ordinary success or achievements had been off tract. Right from childhood almost all of us had passed through unbearable disciplinary methods with an aim to make us famous or achievers in life. In the process of these orientations, we had become only imitators, photocopies and parasites to the so-called successes of our ordinary human counterparts. Many great futures had been thwarted as a result of this misleading orientations.

The New Orientation here is meant to reverse Satan's deception in many lives and to have the new products of faith in God than in man's abilities and inventions. We have a mandate coming from above, and we cannot take this divine calling for granted; His grace had been bestowed on us never to fail nor disappoint God Almighty in Jesus' Name!

We call on all Christians to make a resolve before God and by His special grace we shall in prayer closets with much determined zeal to wait on Him for the reverse of Satan's oppressiveness to God's power to set free the young generation from further ruins! We will certainly gain divine visionary focus and trust Him for extraordinary faculties in all areas of endeavors and commitments.            

Revival in Nations

God will never continue to appear to be helpless in the midst of human misbehavior and rebellion. Jesus Had accomplished the redemption work that had totally crushed the power of sin, Satan and death. And since He had announced this victory on the cross; Christians are now to walk in the paths which this finished work had wrought for us. 

What this implies is for us to practice faith in the power of the finished work by the power of the Holy Ghost and by strict observance of the word of God. Diligence to prayer and intercessory labors will bring revival to the nations of the world. 

We had experienced decades of terrible chastisements; Christians facing untold persecutions not only from the Islamic world,  but also from other heathen formations; all nations had tasted the calamities of several natural disasters; deadly and incurable diseases had overwhelmed the science arena. The list of these untold hardship are endless. 

The more we consider the severity of the shocking dilemma of life, we are obviously encouraged by the unfailing promises of God in the Bible knowing that heaven earth shall pass away, but the Word shall endure forever. With the strong consciousness of God's move by His Spirit amongst the faith people, the devil of stealing, killing and destruction are already put to shame; his wicked activities are being overcome by the everlasting, living and wonder working Word of TRUTH!

            

Marriage Ministry

 
If I had not understood marriage as a ministry, I would have not attended a wedding let alone to officiate over it. Speaking to the couple a very short while ago, emphasis was placed on the couples to be obedient to God as a priority obligation in the relationship. That dedication is intended to please God by faith in His service as a family.

Many a marriages had hit the rock of disappointment and frustration even to the point of divorce because this ministry focus had been toyed around with. Other gratifying factors had ruled over or dominated the very essence of the contract arrangement. Things like sexual, selfish material gain and other concealed motives had hindered the reality consummation of marriage as a ministry originally conceived by God Almighty. 

Broken homes must return to this calling for reconciliation to work. Obedience to God is a powerful tool to every reconciliation. Abraham obeyed God by faith, and he was able to depart from his kinfolks and every interest that could have held him captive from following God's instructions. With Sarah his wife they were able to fulfilled the purpose of God in their lives. Isaac was the product of faith ministry dedication. 

All faith project pass through various trials. Faith must never fail; waiting on the Lord is keeping faith alive. Prayer is a devotion; enjoying a determined long stay in God's presence which is the heavenly oil that fuel the faith that is pleasing to God; and produces the will of God on earth as in heaven; that is the expected testimonies to the glory of God!

Family ministry is all about love that looks around to see someone who may be passing through difficulty with the aim of redeeming them from trouble. Preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God by the family is an outreach as of Lord Jesus; healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, setting the captives free etc by the power of the Holy Ghost. This makes the family unit the societal impetus for deliverance. We are meant to set the world free from Satan's bondage!

       

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

On the surface, it is unfair to underrate such enthusiasm. But since we are seeking to tackle or sort out a problem which had constituted heavy roadblocks or bottlenecks to peoples’ spiritual lives, we must look deeper enough! 

And what does that imply? It entails that we must be more critical of the matter to allow God Himself investigate our hearts in our pursuits of all that emanate from Him! 

As long as we are able to humble, soften and moderate our hearts with ardent sincerity before Him, we will certainly get the answers to our deepest hearts’ spiritual searches; especially as we delve into the important issue of spiritual growth in the church; the Body of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior! 

To get back to God on this crucial research; where shall we refer to but the Holy Bible? One may be tempted to argue, after all, the same Bible had always been our point of reference all this while or even over decades; what then are talking about? It is certain the same Bible; God’s spoken Word had declared conclusively that He can never be fully and perfectly represented without His Spirit’s backing!

Zech 4:6 – “So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD… 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.”

John 15:26 – “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”

1Cor 12:3 – “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” Also read; Mt 16:17; Mk 9:39; Jn 15:26; 1Jn 4:2-3.

2Cor 3:5,6 – “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

We must already have been very familiar with scriptural references like the ones above and can without a shred of doubt from our hearts deny their authenticity. So we must not even waste so much time talking about the relevance of the use of God’s Word except by the Holy Spirit. In fact, one’s conscious should be occupied by incessant irk if God’s Spirit had been ignored or not given His proper place in the Word ministry. 

What that had amounted to is the fraudulence and encroachment of intellectualism into the church; and the predicted move of the anti-Christ; which had left our pews filled with innocent souls wondering or in question to whether we are serving the true living God!

BLOOD ECONOMY

 

Each time God presents a cause for the good of humanity, the devil will always manufacture its counterfeit. All the time the enemy is bent on causing confusion in the lives of God's people; to frustrate their effort to succeed in life according to the will of God. 

When he does that, many people are rendered helpless and fail to seek God to assist them in their lives' struggles. They now consider the devil's crafty suggestion of helping them.

 But when they swallow his bait, only for them to be left unattended to legitimately and find themselves obeying his tricks of rebelling against God. And once they are trapped, they hardly get out of it; so people must learn to keep away from the enemy!

That is the very reason why many people had been trapped into selling out their souls to the devil for fame. In the areas of music, trade or business, fashion, entertainment, sports, politics and career pursuits; the devil had misled many into disastrous lifestyles. 

God sent His Son into the world as a sacrificial Lamb to save people from both the present and eternal destruction and to offer redemptive ways for comfort and contentment; in like manner the devil comes with his form of sacrifices for false redemption. 

That is why lots of innocent souls had committed the blunder of using blood sacrifices or rituals for protection, riches, fame, political power, to maintain the status quo. 

Satan had turned many into heartlessness; they follow his instructions very closely such that stealing, killing and destruction had become their tools for depriving their fellow humans the necessary compassion and assistance. 

Some people had become so loyal to Satan to the point of operating hypocritically; using the devil's approach of help by shedding blood to gain their wealth and prospective means of blessing. 

The use blood resources to construct our roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and other viable developmental projects; and end up using the same structures to steal, kill and destroy. From such flee!

As kingdom citizens, we decree; 'No more of such atrocities in the nations. We frustrate all demonic activities of bloodshed in the Name of Jesus' Name, Amen!!!'       

Resist the Devil

 

The devil ruling the world had taught people mishap orientation of stealing, killing and destruction (John 10:10a). That is why many had taken after rebellion and disorderliness. The misrule of world politicians is nothing but the characteristics of demonic connections. It is unfortunate to say that the church had suffered from the spill over of this downgraded dismal!

Hardly will you find a face to face fierce opposition against the devil from  church people. Many a Christian had laid down their weapons of warfare by acting the cowardice retreat; behaving contrariwise against the octave melody of God's power to deliver; they had become the tools  of satan's deception making others believe that all form of miraculous graces are from the demons also.

How can the Christian deny God's power to heal, deliver and save? How can we allow the kingdom of darkness drawn our faith to that level? We just have to return to God in  fervent prayers and fasting in order to regain our capacity to resist the devil with the required boldness and he got to flee away from us.
James 4:7 "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
     

 

Globalization Vs Christian Unity

Globalists, ordinary human oriented idealists or optimists preach for worldwide networking in the bid to unite the world. While Heaven bound stewards propagate God’s Kingdom unity as illustrated by Christ Jesus.

John 17:21 “…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

I have come to realize that whatever God gives to men it is for safety both here on earth and eternally; there is always the devil’s opposing and contradictory aspect of it.

God had intended that we are a single united entity; there was one language given to mankind (Genesis 11:5-8). It should be God’s love that binds us together and not selfish motives.

Globalization as a process move into increasing world inter-connectivity may never necessarily agree with the spiritual approach to unity. 

It is tilted to the selfish control of the world’s economy; an intention of making the capitalists rule over the world; encouraging the concept of the poor becoming more poorer and the few rich remaining on top of wealth and the  global resources. 

They want the whole world to accept and be united in this demonic concept of economy; while God’s kingdom principle regarding economy is purposely directed to a lifestyle of equality and sharing.

On the area of leadership, we are all brothers (Matthew 23:8:12); if one is rich he should not concentrate on such riches but to become a liberal giver thereby storing wealth in heaven for further blessings beyond the ordinary or what the world’s strategies can offer (Luke 12:33,34).

Spiritual Growth (1)

Growth is necessary for all kinds of developments. No one can be skilful or an expert in any field without going through the process of growth. Growth is therefore a process of change from a lower level into the higher; or changing from being inferior to superior; a developmental process from obscurity to reality. You may wish to check the dictionary meaning of the word; but permit me to stick to this definition.

If there must be the required change as a result of growth in our spiritual lives, we must be prepared to undergo a process or orientation that differs from the usual or the obtainable; something different from what we are used to. We must also accept to go through difficult terrains in the voyage of growth!

Spiritually, many Christians are used to simple and ordinary daily devotionals; others, the usual family prayers; some are constant about Bible study either personally or cooperate in the church and so on and so forth. 

We have also learnt to follow our denomination’s doctrinal instructions, thereby concluding that we are passing through a process of spiritual growth; that is from attending Sunday School lessons, various church fellowships, training in the church’s children, youth and some sort of par-military activities like the Boys’ Brigade, Girls’ Guild, Royal Ambassadors and the like. 

All these are intended to provide solution to one’s spiritual growth. Even in what we consider as regular and usual, many do not accord them the attention required.

Other aspects of the pursuit for Christian maturity had been sought through the methods of attending a Bible School, Pastors’ College or the Seminary or any sort of Bible Training; all with an ambition of attaining greater heights spiritually. 

Many have concentrated on conferences, seminars and workshops for the same reason. Others had roamed about from one ministry to another for the same intention. 

Others had spent time and resources to travel for pilgrimages so as to acquire some miraculous spiritual blessings. In fact, the list of such hunt, demands and requirements for spiritual growth can be inexhaustible. 

In fact, all these seem to represent religious enthusiasms which do not threaten the enemy from carrying out his atrocities in the Christian. May we receive the Spirit's wisdom to acquire the gifts for the relevant growth in Him.