Spiritual Growth
To grow spiritually, you first must decide whether you want to develop your spiritual life or whether you are happy with your spiritual life as it is! The majority of people are content with their lives as they are; and do not want to develop or change. Human nature is like a stream of water that seeks the easiest way; because water is bound to gravity, it cannot flow upwards; There is only one thing that must happen so that water can rise; water must be lighter than air and changed into water vapor so that it can rise!
People do not want to change for the following reasons:
1 They are unsure what will happen.
2 They feel safe where they are.
3 They have no confidence in their own ability.
4 They fear people's reaction if they would change
5 They are proud of themselves and do not want to admit that they were wrong.
To change means that they will have to change shape as water has to change in water vapor. When water vapor rises in the air, the weight of the water decrease; and rise up to become heavy clouds that will rain back to earth so that growth can develop nature.
Likewise, man is trapped in their lives and cannot discover the potential in their lives! They are like water that wander around and do not realize that they have the ability to grow up and give birth to the death of a sinful earth. In every human being, God planted a seed that must be germinated and developed! If this seed that God has planted in you does not develop, it will die with you!
Water can be changed by heat that changes it in steam; or through natural vapor drawn by the sun rays!
In difficult circumstances man cannot help but allow Jesus to change them or when one is approached by the warm love of Jesus! The people who choose to live in the shadow of life in dark sin; will not be able to change! When people go through difficult times and only seek temporary solutions; and do not allow God to change their lives; they will keep on with there sin and like water seek the easy way to flow in the path that suits them!
When you decide to change; you must stand by your decision and do not allow circumstances or people to prevent you to change your decision! Always remember that God has planted in you a seed that can make a difference in many lives!
Changing spiritually does not depend on who you are or your ability; but to the way you open yourself to God to work in your life. If it depends on one's ability and power to grow; nobody will be able to grow spiritually! We just do not have the ability to develop spiritually by our self; just like water that cannot change by itself. When you close water in a container so that it will not be able to change in the container; it will decline; rotten water releases toxic gases that are harmful to humans and animals! Likewise, it will happen when one wants to hide himself from God!
What did you decide? Do you stay as you are or will you allow God to develop the seed He has sown in you!
The first step is to open yourself to God! You can do this to sit one side where people cannot hear you and talk to God as if he is sitting next you.
Act 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
God will hear all that you tell him; He knows everything about you! When you open your heart to Him so that He can come in. God will not force anyone to obey Him! When you voluntarily open your heart to the God He will pour His love and mercy into you! You do not have to be ashamed to tell him everything He knows everything about you; just acknowledge that He can come to live in you. When you hide certain things in your life and do not talk to God about it; God cannot come in to forgive you!
God created you in your mother; He has planned your birth as well as your parents! God made you for a purpose; you are not wasted He wants to use you as you are to help others, even if you have physical defects.
Psa 139:1-17 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
Jesus will never judge or reject you; Even though you have done terrible things. His love for you will cover all the bad and ugly things in your life! He loves you very much and wants to accept you as His own child. The blood He poured out on Calvary was also for you; He died for you so that your past can be erased and that you can live like a new person before Him without your past!
1Jn 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing. If we say that we have not sinned, we make a liar out of God, and his word is not in us.
You must tell him everything; when you acknowledge it, He will forgive you! Jesus will not discipline you and insult you; He really loves you and wants to germinate the seed that He sowed in you so that you can achieve your full potential in life!
Joh 3:16-18 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior. Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son.
When you decide to welcome Jesus in your life; you must leave your sinful life and place Jesus first in your life! You cannot change if you stay living with sin in your live!
Mat 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life.
There is a price you have to pay; that is to break with your old sinful life and follow Jesus. God sent His son to pay the price of your sin; The price you have to pay is to acknowledge His love for you and to break with sin; you cannot welcome Jesus in your live while holding on to sin!
Isa 55:1-3 The LORD says, "Come, everyone who is thirsty—here is water! Come, you that have no money—buy grain and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk—it will cost you nothing! Why spend money on what does not satisfy? Why spend your wages and still be hungry? Listen to me and do what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all. "Listen now, my people, and come to me; come to me,
When you are not thirsty; will not you drink? and if you drink when you are not thirsty you will not enjoy what you drink. Therefore, God does not force you; He wants you to enjoy your new life in Him! He wants you to have a feast in Him! GNB
Your friends are also important; when you welcome Jesus in your life; will you no longer fit in between your old friends; because you will change and no longer do what you have done. Your words will change; You will no longer use ugly curse or power words. You will no longer visit the places where sin is committed. As you grow spiritually, your interest and your mind will change! You will feel more welcome among people who have changed like you!
You see it costs a prize to serve Jesus! You cannot obey Jesus and sin.
2Co 6:16 How can God's temple come to terms with pagan idols? For we are the temple of the living God! As God himself has said, "I will make my home with my people and live among them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people." And so the Lord says, "You must leave them and separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with what is unclean, and I will accept you. I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." GNB
Before turning around, first look at the pros and cons:
Advantages on this new road:
1 You are going to find yourself in Jesus.
2 You're going to discover your potential
3 You will change when the seeds that God sowed in you germinate
4 You're going to have a friend who is God for which nothing is impossible.
5 You are going to live forever even if you die on earth!
Joh 8:51 I am telling you the truth: whoever obeys my teaching will never die."
If you decide to stay as you are:
1 You will keep your friends; that does not really care for you like Jesus.
2 You will never reach your full potential.
3 You are going to spend eternity in hell.
4 You will have to deal with your own problems; Earthly friends cannot give you advice and guidance that is to your advantage.
There are probably many pros and cons. But you must decide if you really want to serve God and whether you want to stay as you are! There are many who pretend that they are children of God; that it is not.
Luk 9:62 Jesus said to him, "Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God." GNB
During the time of the Bible, the farm worker held the plow while the donkey pulled the plow through the field. When the farmer looks away and do not concentrate on his task and his plow hits a stone, the worker injured himself and broke the plow.
When you follow Jesus and long for your old sinful life; would you hurt yourself and break your relationship with Jesus!
Jesus knows everything; He knows how sincerely you are and not!
Rev 3:15-16 I know what you have done; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other! But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth!
Who is Jesus?
When you follow someone you must know who you follow; You must get to know him better so that you can understand him. Relationships cannot develop between people who do not know and understand each other! Jesus knows everything about you and understands you much better than you understand yourself.
Heb 4:13 There is nothing that can be hid from God; everything in all creation is exposed and lies open before his eyes. And it is to him that we must all give an account of ourselves. GNB
Perhaps you've heard of Jesus but really do not know him. Job also heard of Jesus but did not know him; therefore, Job did not understand what had happened to him.
Job 42:5 In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
Jesus was not created; or not born. He exists forever!
Mic 5:1-2 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. KJV
Psa 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Jesus created the world and all that is on it!
Joh 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was (also a) God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Jesus is the source of life. He is also the light that enlightens people so that they can observe the darkness in them. The darkness is sin and the bad things that you want to hide or cover up! The darkness in you cannot exude or overwhelm God's light of love! God do not light up the ugly things to judge you but to clean and forgive you; so that He can remove it from you!
Jesus was also in the Old Testament although He was not called Jesus; He was the Lord of Hosts. He and is the head of all angels and rulers about creation.
Isa 44:6-8 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
The King of Israel: God the Father and His redeemer (Jesus who came to redeem us from sin) the LORD of hosts.
Jesus who was God and was born in the equality of a person like you and me; therefore He understands us, although He is God, He despised Himself to become like us.
Php 2:6-11 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus became flesh and blood like us so that He could overcome the power that Satan had over us; to overcome the death that is caused by sin! God was worried about the state of man therefore, Jesus left heaven to help and support us.
Heb 2:14-16 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Although man had turned away from God and disobeyed Him and obey Satan; He did not reject us?
Gen 3:16-19 And he said to the woman, "I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him." And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you. It will produce weeds and thorns, and you will have to eat wild plants. You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again."
Jesus paid the costly price for our sin. He although He was without sin He took our punishment on Him so that we can restore our relationship with God the Father through Him!
God the Father is also worried about you and me therefore Jesus became human to save us from the hell fire prepared for the devil and his demons; as well as those who are still disobedient to God.
Heb 10:28-31 Anyone who disobeys the Law of Moses is put to death without any mercy when judged guilty from the evidence of two or more witnesses. What, then, of those who despise the Son of God? who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant which purified them from sin? who insult the Spirit of grace? Just think how much worse is the punishment they will deserve! For we know who said, "I will take revenge, I will repay"; and who also said, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
Because Jesus become a to understand our weakness. That’s why He became our High Priest who entered us for God the Father!
Heb 4:14-16 Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God—Jesus, the Son of God. Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are but did not sin. Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.
In Jesus' high priest prayer, He intercede for us to the Abba Father; He want us to become as He is!
Joh 17:15-22 I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the Evil One. Just as I do not belong to the world, they do not belong to the world. Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth. I sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you. "I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one:
To be changed, we must not only leave the old sinful world, we must die and be born again. Our spirit must get a new spirit within us; therefore, we must be born again by spirit and water!
Rom 6:1-6 What shall we say, then? Should we continue to live in sin so that God's grace will increase? Certainly not! We have died to sin—how then can we go on living in it? For surely you know that when we were baptized into union with Christ Jesus, we were baptized into union with his death. By our baptism, then, we were buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life. For since we have become one with him in dying as he did, in the same way we shall be one with him by being raised to life as he was.
We must be immersed in water; buried in water and then come out of the water as Jesus rose from the dead. To sprinkle people with water is baptism! The first step is to believe; repent from your sin and then be baptized!
The Pharisees and Sadducees; the people who believed that they are religious; assumed that they should also be baptized; but John said to them,
Mat 3:7-9 When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, "You snakes—who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. And don't think you can escape punishment by saying that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham!
Therefore, it is important that you first turn away from sin before baptizing! You must show signs that you want to change; even if you are not perfect without sin. This is the beginning of your new life and there will be other things you need to change as you grow in Christ!
After the Holy Spirit poured out, people also wanted to receive supernatural power and asked Peter:
Act 2:37-39 When the people heard this, they were deeply troubled and said to Peter and the other apostles, "What shall we do, brothers?" Peter said to them, "Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God's gift, the Holy Spirit. For God's promise was made to you and your children, and to all who are far away—all whom the Lord our God calls to himself."
The word baptism in the original Greek is Baptizo and means is to be baptized under water so that water flows over you! It must be done as Jesus commanded us:
Mat 28:18-20 Jesus drew near and said to them, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age."
Baptism alone cannot save you; this is the first step. Without baptism you cannot live with Jesus one day!
Joh 3:3-6 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not hold on to traditions that cannot save you from sin!
Col 2:8-12 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
The circumcision that is not done with hands; is your conversion or turning away from sin and following Jesus.
The next step is to obey the Holy Spirit who will talk within you. When you accept Jesus, you receive the power to become a child of God; when you accept Jesus you invite him to be part of your life.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
When you invite Jesus into your life and you do not listen what He teaches you through the Holy Spirit and the Bible; are you not a child of God; even if you accepted him!
Rom 8:12-15 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
When you obey the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will awaken your spirit so that He can fill you with supernatural power.
om 8:3-4 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5-11 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Jesus' instruction to His Disciples (Disciple, meaning a followers of Jesus) was to go to the upper room and wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, His command us after we have accept Jesus and obeyed the Holy Spirit to pray and to wait for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon us with His supernatural gifts.
Act 1:6-8 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
After we received Jesus and received the Holy Spirit; we cannot sit back and think we are right. The seed that God sowed in you is the gift that God gives you through the Holy Spirit what you need to develop and use it to lead other people closer to God. Because you are no longer obedient to the devil you should now regularly fill your mind with God's Word the Bible; You must always talk to God through prayer.
You must live holy; living holy is to become like Jesus and not allow sin again in your life!
Heb 12:10-14 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Enjoy your walk with Jesus. There is a wonderful eternal life the wait for you in Gods enteral city!!
Joh 14:1-5 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.