Are You Growing Spiritually?

Spiritual growth is an essential part of preparing for heaven. "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen." (II Peter 3:18.) Paul described spiritual growth by saying, "but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ --" (Ephesians 4:15.) The Hebrew Christian had to be reminded of the need for spiritual growth. (Hebrews 5:12-14.) Following are some indicators of spiritual growth.

You grow spiritually by producing the fruit of the spirit in your life. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23.) Love is affection, good will or benevolence toward others. Joy is gladness both received and shared with others. Peace is tranquility, harmony and concord. Long-suffering is patience or endurance. Gentleness is goodness and kindness. Goodness is uprightness of heart and life. Faith is the conviction of the truths we hold. Meekness is gentleness or mildness. Self-control is temperance. As the fruit of the Spirit increases in life spiritual growth is taking place.

You grow spiritually by increasing in love for lost souls. "I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." (Romans 1:14-16.) Let no one around you say, "no one cared for my soul." The Psalmist said, "Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul." (Psalm 142:4.) Pray for the Lord to use you in being a soul winner. God's plan for evangelism is simple. One who has learned the truth must share Christ with another. "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." (II Timothy 2:2.) 

You grow spiritually by faithful attendance at all the assemblies of the church. Christians must assemble faithfully, with the right attitude, having a strong desire to worship and serve God. (Hebrews 10:24-25.) Faithful attendance provides an opportunity for growth and also an opportunity to edify others. Never allow yourself to be guilty of willfully forsaking even one assembly.

You grow spiritually by developing Christlikeness. "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you." (Galatians 4:19.) Christians must have the mind of Christ and follow His example. (Philippians 2:5; I Peter 2:21.) The moon reflects the light of the sun. Christians reflect the light and likeness of God's Son. Has Christ been formed in you? 

You grow spiritually by developing a stronger desire to go to heaven. "This world is not my home." (Philippians 1:21-24.) Our desire for that heavenly home must be strong. "But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:16.) Do you really want to go to heaven? And are you willing to do what is necessary to get there?

Other indicators of spiritual growth are: (1) Developing the right mindset (Colossians 3:1-4), (2) Giving liberally and cheerfully (II Corinthians 8:1-5; II Corinthians 9:7), (3) Regular, daily self-examination (II Corinthians 13:5), (4) Gaining knowledge of God's word (II Timothy 2:15), (5) Steadfast involvement in the Lord's work (I Corinthians 15:58), (6) Praying constantly (I Thessalonians 5:17-18), and (7) Devel¬oping a stronger fellowship with the brethren (Romans 12:10; John 13:34-35.) 

You are either growing or dying spiritually. Which direction is your spiritual life headed? Obey the gospel (Mark 16:15-16) and endure to the end. (Matthew 10:22)   Dave Hart

Paul's Peace

The Apostle Paul was absolutely fearless when it came to conducting his ministry. He frequently seized evangelistic opportunities without regarding the life-threatening dangers encompassing them. When faced with a riotous crowd he was eager to meet the challenge head-on. In Ephesus, where the populous stirred to anarchy because of the greed of one silversmith, the Apostle was barely restrained by his friends from entering the theater to address the crowds (Acts 19:20). Later, when prejudice would be used to stir up angry opposition among worshippers in the Jerusalem Temple, after being carried to relative safety, Paul begged for and received the opportunity to preach to the mob (21:35; 22:1-ff.).New Testament records reveal his reluctant catalog of suffering (2 COR. 11:23-27). So convinced was he of the veracity of the message he preached, Paul on a number of occasions emphasized his willingness to give up his own life, if need be, in the course of fulfilling his obligation as an apostle of the risen Lord, Jesus Christ (Acts 21:13; 25:12). Although not specifically attributed to Paul, the sentiment presented of the anonymous Hebrew writer effectively captures his attitude towards life and death: “Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?” (Heb. 13:5-6).David Bragg

What About The Sinner's Prayer?

by Travis Quertermous
From The Reminder, August 5, 2012
In answer to the question, “What must I do to be saved?,” denominational preachers of the evangelical variety will often respond by urging sinners to repeat what they call “the sinner’s prayer.” Such a prayer will often take the form of confessing that one is lost, expressing one’s faith in Jesus as the Son of God, and then asking Him to come into their life as their personal Savior.

If you have ever prayed such a prayer and believe yourself to have been saved thereby, let me ask you to seriously consider these facts from the Bible. First, no inspired preacher of the New Testament church ever told anyone to pray “the sinner’s prayer.” Peter had taught the people of Jerusalem, “‘And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved’” (Acts 2:21). After hearing the gospel preached, some were convicted of their sins and cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Note carefully the response as the apostles taught them how to call on the name of the Lord: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).

Notice that the apostle Peter did not lead the crowd in “the sinner’s prayer.” There is no authority in Scripture for such. Rather, he taught them the gospel plan of salvation that they should believe the gospel, repent of their sins, and be immersed in water to receive the forgiveness of their sins. Have you truly called on the name of the Lord that you might be saved?

Cell Phone Technology

The world of technology just boggles the mind. The i-phone started it all. It was no time after it came out that many different applications came out. While some applications were just stupid things to busy the mind, many have been helpful.
Some people have actually done some good things with these apps. There is an app where you can put a copy of the entire Bible on your cellphone. Just imagine carrying around a bible with you during the day, and being able to read and study in some of your down time. You know, this just might work for those people too embarrased to carry an actual bible into the workplace or school.
There are some apps which let people know it is time to pray. Wouldn't it be nice if every now and then there is a beep on our phone, and we remember to pray? Some people have no problems praying, even in public. But some need to be reminded.
What if we treated our Bibles like our cellphones?
Just imagine keeping it in your possession all day long. Just imagine reading and thinking about your bible like the time you spend on your cellphone. Can you imagine turning around to go back for your bible? You would do it for your cellphone.
Can you imagine that all the important information you need in your life is found in your Bible? Well most people turn to their cellphone for the most importing things in their life. Of course, you see the frustration when a battery goes dead, and you have to reprogram your cellphone and re-enter all the numbers. The good thing about the Bible is that it does not change and does not need upgrades or newer models. The word of God abides forever.
And do you ever think that the cellphone makers came up with text messages? Isn't that what our Bibles do? Yes, there are plenty of text messages found in our Bibles.
Now that we have this technology, we wonder how we ever lived without it. And could you now get along without it? Well we should treat our Bibles the same way, knowing that we cannot live without the message and words of God's holy text.
We keep our cellphones because we need them in case of an emergency. Weren't there emergencies before cell phones came along? Yes there were. Why can't we keep the Bible around for an emergency? Who knows, one might be struck with the need to give an answer to anyone who asks concerning our faith. We'd sure need a bible then.
There are other things we could consider in comparing our cellphones with our Bibles. The truth is that while cellphones have great benefits, our Bibles are still the most important and best thing we have. 

By Carey Scott 3/1/2011