Reading the bible, you will notice how hard it is for Jesus and his apostles to teach the Good news. They would travel by foot to reach other places outside Israel just to share the truth about God and His promises. Read the rest of this entry »
“Grow up into Him in all things.”
Ephesians 4:15
Many Christians remain stunted and dwarfed in spiritual things, so as to present the same appearance year after year. No up-springing of advanced and refined feeling is manifest in them. They exist but do not “grow up into Him in all things.” But should we rest content with being in the “green blade,” when we might advance to “the ear,” and eventually ripen into the “full corn in the ear?” Should we be satisfied to believe in Christ, and to say, “I am safe,” without wishing to know in our own experience more of the fullness which is to be found in Him. It should not be so; we should, as good traders in heaven’s market, covet to be enriched in the knowledge of Jesus. It is all very well to keep other men’s vineyards, but we must not neglect our own spiritual growth and ripening. Why should it always be winter time in our hearts? We must have our seed time, it is true, but O for a spring time–yea, a summer season, which shall give promise of an early harvest. If we would ripen in grace, we must live near to Jesus–in His presence–ripened by the sunshine of His smiles. We must hold sweet communion with Him. We must leave the distant view of His face and come near, as John did, and pillow our head on His breast; then shall we find ourselves advancing in holiness, in love, in faith, in hope–yea, in every precious gift. As the sun rises first on mountain-tops and gilds them with his light, and presents one of the most charming sights to the eye of the traveller; so is it one of the most delightful contemplations in the world to mark the glow of the Spirit’s light on the head of some saint, who has risen up in spiritual stature, like Saul, above his fellows, till, like a mighty Alp, snow-capped, he reflects first among the chosen, the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and bears the sheen of His effulgence high aloft for all to see, and seeing it, to glorify His Father which is in heaven.
Eating fibers and having a balanced diet can help as colon cleansers. Not all that we eat get digested and some of them become waste products that go to the large intestine. Unfortunately, not all the wastes in the large intestine are excreted. But with the help of fibers, and through detoxification, and fasting, some of the wastes are cleaned or flushed out.
Once in a while, spiritually, we also need to do a flushing out of the sins and bad elements in our lives. We can do this by spending a day of fasting and prayer, through spiritual retreats and the like. Try it.
This is not about physically challenging leaders to learn how to burn belly fat here or to gain muscles. This is about spiritual matters that will definitely affect all aspects of our lives.
Having integrity means being consistent and filling every part with the same things. So when we allow spiritual matters to fill every aspect of our lives, that changes even the deepest things in our hearts.
Last Sunday, I talked about spiritual fitness and introduced the topic with Coach Jim Saret’s 4-minute workout. This workout helps one lose 400 calories in 4 minutes. Regular exercise has a different effect compared to diet pills and it is parallel to spiritual fitness. One does not gain spiritual muscles through a one time event or spiritual activity. It has to be regular because it’s a process. Do not take shortcuts but discipline yourself to be spiritually fit.
When visiting a doctor it is always advisable to seek different opinions especially when the first doctor who makes a diagnosis recommends a major medical procedure. You also must be listening intently to the doctor because he might give a dual diagnosis. In that case, the more necessary it is to seek another doctor’s opinion. Relating to spiritual matters, the word of God is our “doctor” that shows us what’s wrong with us. That is why we should always be reading God’s word and listen to it.
“So she gleaned in the field until even.”
Ruth 2:17
Let me learn from Ruth, the gleaner. As she went out to gather the ears of corn, so must I go forth into the fields of prayer, meditation, the ordinances, and hearing the word to gather spiritual food. The gleaner gathers her portion ear by ear; her gains are little by little: so must I be content to search for single truths, if there be no greater plenty of them. Every ear helps to make a bundle, and every gospel lesson assists in making us wise unto salvation. The gleaner keeps her eyes open: if she stumbled among the stubble in a dream, she would have no load to carry home rejoicingly at eventide. I must be watchful in religious exercises lest they become unprofitable to me; I fear I have lost much already–O that I may rightly estimate my opportunities, and glean with greater diligence. The gleaner stoops for all she finds, and so must I. High spirits criticize and object, but lowly minds glean and receive benefit. A humble heart is a great help towards profitably hearing the gospel. The engrafted soul-saving word is not received except with meekness. A stiff back makes a bad gleaner; down, master pride, thou art a vile robber, not to be endured for a moment. What the gleaner gathers she holds: if she dropped one ear to find another, the result of her day’s work would be but scant; she is as careful to retain as to obtain, and so at last her gains are great. How often do I forget all that I hear; the second truth pushes the first out of my head, and so my reading and hearing end in much ado about nothing! Do I feel duly the importance of storing up the truth? A hungry belly makes the gleaner wise; if there be no corn in her hand, there will be no bread on her table; she labours under the sense of necessity, and hence her tread is nimble and her grasp is firm; I have even a greater necessity, Lord, help me to feel it, that it may urge me onward to glean in fields which yield so plenteous a reward to diligence.
