Friday, September 2, 2016

How To Prevent The Weeds Of This World From Choking Out Your Spiritual Life

My Utmost For His Highest
 
He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow… —John 7:38
 
“Our Lord’s teaching was always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a person— His purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what He pours through us that really counts. God’s purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it, but only by what God pours through us— and we cannot measure that at all.[…] God poured out the life of His Son “that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). Are we prepared to pour out our lives for Him? “He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”— and hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed.”  CHAMBERS
 
Your salvation is not for your benefit alone.  God has a plan and a purpose for each of us.  (Ephesians 2:10)  The primary purpose is to point the world to Him.  As with Abraham, God blesses us so that we too will be a blessing to others. (Genesis 12:2)  Your salvation is not for your benefit alone.  And because of that, you have a responsibility.  Jesus used the analogy of a vine, branches and fruit. (John 15:5) “I [Jesus] am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  I write this often, but it bears the repetition, our new life is spiritual.  (John 3:5-6) “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”
 
The success of our new life is dependent upon the cultivation of our spiritual nature. Listen.  We don’t have a yard.  Just some bushes and small plants (no clue what they are) that surround the best part of our house.  I noticed that there were some weeds growing amongst the smaller plants so I asked our grandson if he would mind pulling them.  He pulled them.  So, they were gone.  Guess what.  I noticed yesterday that the weeds are back.  Your faith requires constant attention.  If you neglect your spiritual life the weeds of this world will come and will soon choke out any influence the Spirit might of had in your life.  (1 Thessalonians 5:19) “Do not quench the Spirit.”  It doesn’t happen by intention, it happens by neglect.  Say.  If you are thinking that you’ve got this.  This is not you I am writing about.  You won’t have to think too long to remember someone it does apply to and that is who you need to encourage.  That is how it works my friend.  Blessed to be a blessing.  ELGIN

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