The 3 Ingredients of Spiritual Strength; Powerful Truths in Here!
As a writer, I've often noticed that if I read multiple books by the same author, I start writing in their style. As a teacher, I've also noticed that if I listen to a lot of messages from a single speaker I'll also start talking that way too!
3) Become a student of Scripture
Ingredients are often mixed together, but the cake will taste so much better if you put the first two first! You see, it's imperative you understand the finished work of Christ - you are now righteous because of His acts, not yours - and learn to depend on the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, the Bible becomes a textbook filled with mere facts and knowledge and complicated philosophies.
That said, it is imperative that God's children take advantage of this Book. Yes, the early Christians didn't have it and yet they thrived, but we have such a gift which we should never disparage. Learn to let the Holy Spirit nourish you as you read the word. Learn to discern Jesus within it's ancient legends. Learn to hear God's voice guiding and loving you.
David Roiel
P.S. That's why I really would encourage you to join us in our daily readings to complete the whole Bible this year. You'll get the Scripture readings plus awesome devotionals corresponding about how those chapters relate to Jesus and you... nothing to lose, everything to gain! See you tomorrow morning!
The same can be said of faith. Is your faith really yours? Do you relate to God with your own thoughts and words, or are you following someone else's pattern? Come on, you know what I'm talking about. Brother John prays just like brother Joe who prays just like brother Jeff! If you're tired of "second-hand faith" these are the ingredients you need to mix into your life to finally grow in your relationship with Christ and own your faith.
1) Know you are righteous
Isaiah was a prophet whose prophecies are tantalizingly close to the actual Gospel. He lived 7 centuries before Christ and yet the book of Isaiah could almost have been called the "Gospel According to Isaiah"! In other words, he saw with clarity the grace to be revealed by the Messiah even though he lived during the Old Covenant days of law; which was very far from Grace!
When Isaiah saw a heavenly vision (see Isaiah 6) he became distraught at having seen the Holy One, after all, he was "unclean", a sinner. But when the Seraphim took a coal from the flaming embers of the altar and touched his lips, he was declared clean and pure. The coal from the altar forever altered his self-perception. It was precisely this confidence in his righteousness that allowed him to have a deeper understanding of God and prophesy about the Messiah and the Grace to come with Him.
If you want to grow in your relationship God, it's imperative that you understand that as a believer in Jesus you are clean. No buts, no ifs, no nothing... Jesus said you are clean and so you are! (John 15:3)
2) Listen to the Spirit
I can't believe there are Christians out there who insist on blocking anything Holy-Spiritish. Their faith is built on knowledge about God and does not stem from a vibrant, warm relationship with the Holy One.
The thing is, the Holy Spirit is our inheritance in Christ! Let this sink in, He is your inheritance... more than any other blessing, the presence of God living in your earthly body, in your heart is always amazing to meditate on.
Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be there to comfort, teach, guide, lead, protect and speak to us. He is the One who bares fruit and even prays in us! In short, He speaks and we need not be afraid to listen with our spiritual ears.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27Unfortunately, many pastors and teachers in the church speak profound and excellent and uplifting things. But they are few who really teach the sheep of Christ to follow His voice; the majority simply cultivate a culture of dependence on them rather than Him.
3) Become a student of Scripture
Ingredients are often mixed together, but the cake will taste so much better if you put the first two first! You see, it's imperative you understand the finished work of Christ - you are now righteous because of His acts, not yours - and learn to depend on the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, the Bible becomes a textbook filled with mere facts and knowledge and complicated philosophies.
That said, it is imperative that God's children take advantage of this Book. Yes, the early Christians didn't have it and yet they thrived, but we have such a gift which we should never disparage. Learn to let the Holy Spirit nourish you as you read the word. Learn to discern Jesus within it's ancient legends. Learn to hear God's voice guiding and loving you.
David Roiel
P.S. That's why I really would encourage you to join us in our daily readings to complete the whole Bible this year. You'll get the Scripture readings plus awesome devotionals corresponding about how those chapters relate to Jesus and you... nothing to lose, everything to gain! See you tomorrow morning!
David Roiel
The Green Leaf Blog-Discover your inheritance!
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