Wanting To

But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Dt 4:29

As much as we like to call ourselves adults, we never really grow up. The same tantrums, demeanors we displayed when we were children, make their way into our adult selves – just under a more controlled circumstance. The way we behave toward people now, is a repeat of the way we interacted with other children when we were growing up. And, unfortunately the way we act toward God or choose to listen to what God has to say is the way we listened or didn't listen to our parents when we were small.  The truth? We listen when we want to.

You’re not going to hear God unless you really, really want to listen.   David wrote, “My God, I want to do what you want” and “What I want most of all and at all times is to honor your laws” (Psalm 40:8, Psalm 199:20).  David was passionate in his declaration that what he wanted most of all was to honor God. These things weren't options for him. He used words for seeking God (“I long for it,” “I crave it,” “I hunger for it,” and “I’m like a dear panting for water.”). The question is, is this what you hear in your own vocabulary?

A lot of people talk to God, but they never hear from God. Prayer is a monologue for most people, and monologues do not convey relationship. In a marriage, when only one spouse talks the marriage is dysfunctional because that’s not a relationship. Relationships require communication, and it is just as important as talking to God in prayer. Prayer is not just talking to God, but listening to God and letting Him talk to you. God doesn't tell his dream for your life if you want to debate it. God doesn't tell his vision for your life if you want to discuss it. God doesn't tell you what he put you on Earth to do just so you can say, “Let me think about It.” You've got to want it more than anything else.

David’s words have to become ours. We have to say, “I've got to know why. I've got to know what You want me to do with my life. I've got to hear Your voice. I've got to have Your vision.”

What is the thing you want most in life? Do you long for God’s voice?  Would you say that you are passionate for Christ in the same sense that when you are thirsty that you crave water? When you ask God or talk to God, what attitude do you talk with Him? Is it the three year old in you, or that part of you that realizes that God is everything? Are you prepared to respond in obedience?

Jim

Spiritual Gifts - How to Grow Them

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Gal.5:22,23

As we spoke about this last Sunday, I thought it expedient to write about it for this article, as well as the fact that it is a time of the year that we are considering gifts to each other and other people that we know. Spiritual gifts are gifts of yourself, which God’s Spirit has brought about in you and your heart.  Gifts like this require us to dig deep within our hearts and cultivate the right atmosphere for them to grow.  When there are no roots, or in shallow soil, it may initially sprout and look good, but it doesn't last. The plants wither quickly because they don’t have roots. This is readily seen in Jesus’ statement regarding the parable of the sower.

“The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up”

 Luke 8:13

Many times we hear God’s Word and may even get excited about it, but we don’t allow it to change us. But we don’t take the time to let it sink in. How do you develop spiritual roots? There are two ways that I am aware of 

1. Taking daily time with God and His Word 
2. A weekly (or even more often) small group time with other believers.

These are the only ways that the roots can reach your spirit and at the same time find the nurturing food required to produce the fruits that the Spirit can bring forth.

If you’re not spending time with God on a daily basis, you’re going to dry up and blow away when Satan comes around and applies pressure. Satan knows your weak points and targets them with stealth - you won’t be able to handle it. You've got to make a daily time with God to listen for Him and His voice. Whatever it takes to keep the focus on God, do it! Crucial to this is spending time with people who Love God! Nobody has a complete perspective on life. Every one of us has blinders on. The people in your weekly gathering can see things in your life you can’t see. That’s why we need each other! You learn from the people God’s family as you encourage each other and your roots go deeper. You want to be a person with deep spiritual roots so that when a spiritual recession comes and lasts several years, you’re able to keep bearing fruit and people will find in you a reason for hope.  

So, some questions to ask yourself may be:

• How does your schedule need to change so that you can spend more time with God?
• What things do you need to follow through with that will help you not only grow deeper but grow richer in God’s Spirit?

Jim

Prepared to Answer

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Pet.3:15)

This advice is given by Peter in his encouragement to the Christians of his day as they came in contact with people on a day to day basis. Many read this scripture and experience fear. Fear that they have to become bible scholars in order to teach someone.  Unfortunately, this is a fear that has been instilled into believers for over 1800 years, when religious leaders told people like you and me that we could not do this because we were not “professionals,” or part of what became known as the “Clergy.” This however is NOT biblical teaching.  Paul considered himself a “brother” and “fellow servant” with Tychicus (Col. 4:7). The same was true for Paul and Epaphras (Col.1:7). Ephroditus was Paul’s “brother, co-worker and fellow soldier” (Ph’p.2:25). Paul and Timothy called themselves the “servants” of the Corinthian church (1 Cor.4:5). Peter viewed Silas as his “faithful brother” (1 Pet. 5:12). The apostles never talked in terms of “us” and “them” in the context of serving Christ. They considered themselves to be fellow laborers with all believers in the church.

The truth is, that everyone you come in contact with needs a reason for hope.  We all want the world to be a better place, yet, few do anything about it to make it better for someone other than themselves. That is why Peter states what he does. Christians should be and appear in public to be people that look beyond life and its drudgery to something better.  A happiness in their step, a smile on their face, an encouragement in their talk.  The hope that best helps people is the hope from somebody who says, “Been there, done that.”

Most think “give an answer to every man” in Peter’s passage means they have to explain why Jesus died on the cross, quote Scripture verses from memory, and know a bunch of Greek or Hebrew. We are not Lawgivers – there is only one with that authority – Christ (Jas.4:12).  We are not Attorneys or Lawyers of the Bible, again, that role belongs only to Jesus (1 Tim.2:5).  It’s not your job to convince people to accept Christ, and try as you can you cannot convert anyone (1 Cor.3:7). God does that. So what does this mean? It means simply that you tell others what has given you hope, a reason to smile, an outlook that today is good even though it has evil things in it.  He wants you to say, “Pain really got my attention. Let me tell you what I learned. I learned that God is all I need. You don’t know God is all you need until God is all you’ve got. I learned that God’s going to hang with me no matter what.” You simply share what you have learned through your own difficulty and experience. You tell people what changed you!

We all recognize others that have difficulties by the looks on their faces, the demeanor they carry – that “aura” that says “I need a friend right now.” What are the good and bad experiences in your life that God can use to impart hope with someone else? That’s what God wants you to do.

Can you think of one person in your life that you can share experience from your life with this week?  

Jim

Growing Spiritually

"he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."

(Ph'p 1:6)

Spring is just around the corner! Many will begin to think of planting gardens, or the benefits of going to the store and buying fresh veggies. The trouble though with buying fruits or vegetables at stores, is that fruit is often picked unripened so it won't bruise during shipping to the stores. Before sold, these are sprayed with CO2 gas to give them ripened appearance instantly. While edible, they are no match to the flavor of a fruit or vegetable that is allowed to mature slowly.

The same is true for the fruits of the Spirit in my life. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time and while we worry about how fast we’re growing, God is concerned about how strong we grow. Hebrews 11 is a testament to the fact that growth comes early for some, and there are others that it takes all the way to the point old age before we ever achieve what God considers “mature faith.” The reason is that this maturity takes time and experience to achieve, it is not something that we can “gas” and then expect to be mature tomorrow. Faith is achieved one bit, one victory at a time. There will be some costly battles, some wins, many losses and the constant necessity to push forward. It is interesting that the first time that we perceive the Lord knocking on the door, most of us are resistant and defensive. At this point in our lives, we feel that Jesus is “standing at the door and bombing!” It is not until after we come to know the truth, that we understand that it was only a “knock.” We may think we have surrendered our life to him, but the truth is, there is a lot to our life that we aren't even aware of that still needs growing and ripening.

The scripture that we referenced above assures us that we are never alone in any of this. God has promised that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Ph’p.1:6)." Every struggle, every battle – HE is there! And there is something for us to learn, observe or do in each one that stands to help us mature into what God sees in me. Jacob (meaning the "supplanter” or one who causes to stumble), had to wrestle an angel (Gen.35) before he would grow to be called Israel (God will rule).

Growing up doesn’t stop after we turn twenty, it’s just getting started, and will continue until the day that we draw our last breath (Ph'p.3:12-15).