SOMETIMES WE GROW AND DON’T KNOW IT
12 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Jesus
David Wilkerson Today
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2010
SOMETIMES WE GROW AND DON’T KNOW IT
Some believers can tell you all about their spiritual growth. And you can
clearly see the changes in their lives. They testify to you about how the Holy
Ghost has vanquished the enemy for them, and you rejoice with them in their
victory.
Yet these kinds of Christians are the exception. Most believers are totally
unaware of any spiritual progress in their lives. They pray, read the Bible and
seek the Lord with all their hearts. There’s no obstruction to spiritual growth
in them.
But they can’t discern any growth in themselves. I’m an example of this type of
believer. I know I walk in the righteousness of Christ, yet I never sense I’m
making progress. In fact, I occasionally get down on myself whenever I do or
say something un-Christlike. It causes me to wonder, “I’ve been a Christian for
years. Why don’t I ever learn?”
I think the Thessalonian Christians were stunned when they heard Paul’s glowing
assessment of them (see 2 Thessalonians 1:3). They probably thought, “Me,
growing exceedingly? Paul must be kidding.”
Yet Paul knew that spiritual growth is a secret, hidden thing. Scripture likens
it to the unseen growth of flowers and trees: “I will be as the dew unto Israel:
he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches
shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as
Lebanon” (Hosea 14:5–6).
God is telling us, “Go to the lilies! Just try to watch them grow. I’m telling
you by day’s end you won’t see any growth whatsoever. But know this; I water
the lily every morning with the dew I send—and it’s going to grow.” The same
is true of most spiritual growth. It’s imperceptible to the human eye!
When some people get saved, they never seem to struggle with a besetting sin.
They testify, “The moment I came to Jesus, the Lord took that temptation out of
me. And I’ve been free ever since.” I know many former drug addicts who’ve had
this experience.
But for multitudes of Christians, it’s a different story. Years after their
conversion, an old corruption has broken loose in them—something they hated
and never wanted to see again. Yet no matter how hard they struggle, that one
remaining lust simply won’t let go. Over time they grow discouraged. Their soul
cries out, “How long, Lord? When will this chain ever be broken?” And eventually
the devil comes to them, saying, “You’ll never make it. You know there’s no way
you could grow spiritually in this kind of condition.”
Take heart, friend—I’ve got good news for you. You are growing in the midst
of your struggle! In fact, you may be growing by leaps and bounds because of
your struggle.
Rest assured—if you have the fear of God in your heart, you’re going to
emerge from the storm much stronger. You see, when you’re doing battle with the
enemy, you’re exercising and calling forth all the graces and powers of God. And
even though you may feel weakened, those graces and powers are strengthening
you. For one, you’re becoming more urgent in your praying. And, second, you’re
being stripped of all pride. So, the storm is actually putting you on
“spiritual guard” in every area of your life!
http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/devotions/2010/sometimes-we-grow-and-dont-know-it
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I am not certain if David Wilkerson wrote this, yet I am quite encouraged by the message.
In the beginning when I began receiving these encouragement messages I had a thought run through my mind… it sure doesn’t sound like Wilkerson, maybe I do not want to receive them. The messages seem soft, and honestly most of what I had heard from D. Wilkerson had always been warning, warning, warning. I will admit, there was a day when soft encouragement was welcomed, but then when all you ever hear is serious sermonizing, the soft seems to scream unfavorable. It was as if I were reading Dick and Jane all over again… remember Dick and Jane?
Over time my heart began to look forward to the encouraging words. I found myself asking questions after I would read the daily encouragement message:
- Lord, what is going on here?
-Lord, surely this journey is not all about ‘ Heretics’, ‘False Prophets’, and ‘what the heck are Christians doing?’
-Lord, I am so sick of hearing what Christians aren’t doing, that I don’t want to be around Christians!
-Lord, I am not sure You want us to be constantly thinking ‘where is the enemy, I just know he is here somewhere’, nor would You want us to never think ‘he has nothing to gain from bothering me’.
-Lord, why would You make it so hard for us to be Christlike, and honestly what is wrong with us when we constantly point out so many wrongs within the Church, and how much the more we should be liken unto the Early Church?
At times I would look up Anti-Theist Quotes. I would giggle at some of them. And too, I would ponder over why some of those quotes would be considered Anti-Theist. Then scripture would come to mind, and I would giggle again, and found it challenging to read the quotes, and see if I could find scripture to disprove the quote. The Holy Ghost is very good to help me in the matter. Thank You Holy Ghost.
You see, many times I find Christians who are very serious about being a Christian/Christ-like can be overwhelming, and too intimidating. I am not sure they see themselves this way at all, yet it can lead a beginner/born again to think this is the way God wants me to be. Not necessarily. Sure it is good to listen to a person who has been on this journey for more years than yourself, yet I find many babes in Christ have many questions, and those questions aren’t always pertaining to the Word. I enjoy talking to them, and I enjoy guiding them to the Word; yet I find what they aren’t ready for, isn’t necessarily going to make sense to them… but I tell them to be patient, read the Word anyway, and wait upon the Lord for the seed to sprout.
The brokenness of people is so evident, and too, many are asking, and seeking the Lord in areas they never thought were of any real importance before. Has America really lost it’s savor/salt? Well, all I can say is as far as America goes, if you are a Born Again Christian, and you are living in America, and you know Jesus walks with you, then you are salt. If you are listening to the Lord, and the Word/Jesus is in you, and you are ready for opportunities the Lord is going to send your way, then you haven’t lost your savor. Salt is rough, and is dry; yet it does add flavor. The Lord did say ‘salt’, not stone, and the stones are being tossed about so much so, it has become a trend. America is a place where a Christian lives. America is a country, like many other countries. And like many countries America will be judged by God.
I enjoy reading passages in the Word where it says:
God with-held the rain.
it rained 40 days and 40 nights
ye shall plant 6 years and in the 7th year ye shall let the ground rest
I with-held you from sinning against Me
the plagues were sent into Egypt, yet God’s people were saved
I smile when I read passages like this, because I then know that when God Judges a Nation He keeps His own. I really do not believe we should continually question God on matters of this World. I remember Jesus weeping over the unbelief of the people; even those close to Him as He was demonstrating the power of the Resurrection… tomb of Lazarus. The teaching of this Chapter is generalized to Jesus wept over Lazarus… No, He was not weeping over Lazarus. Why should He if He knew Lazarus was going to come up from his grave when He called unto him? Jesus groaned within Himself, and the Holy Ghost groaned with Him… because of the people’s unbelief. Jesus even said unto a Hebrew woman: weep not for Me, but for your people. We cry all the time at the death of martyrs, yet why? Is it the emotional connection to the fear of dying, or how one might die for Christ? I will be honest…Martyrdom scares the behemoth out of me, and how those men and women died makes my stomach churn with pain; yet through the tears comes something most wonderful… a REJOICING! For in my heart I know only God could have given them the power, courage, and strength needed to willingly embrace the Cross.
Only God knows when your time is done here on this earth. And I know there are a multitude of angelic beings working on God’s behalf. They listen to Him, and they do as He tells them to do. He allows what He allows, and it is for His Good Purpose. Evil Leaders? Evil Pastors? Evil Congregates? Evil Teachers, Prophets, Entertainers, Heretics, Wolves; even wolves in sheep’s clothing, and other such gross wickedness continues to parade about to and fro, and seeks to bring you down to your knees so that you can worship that Evil, and Not God; yet still God is, was, and will always be The Authority. One needs to rethink about how some of those thoughts enter into our head.
Abimelech was a King who thought he could take Sarah for a wife, but the Lord spoke to him in a dream:
I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
I kept you from sinning against Me?
God must have done something to keep that man distracted in order to keep him from going into Sarah
So, the next time you think a distraction is of the enemy… Think twice; for it may have been God doing something in you to keep you from being evil.
Then God says:
Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. Genesis 20:7
See, God will do what God is Justified in doing, and when He sets out to have it done, no one is going to stand in His way; not even the evil one. Although this King may have been with good intent, he had no idea who he was up against when he took Sarah for his wife. I just cannot believe ministers who say that if God can’t get the job done through you, He will just go to someone else. NOT! When God sets His mind to something, and if you are the one He has chosen you best bet on it that God will do in you what He has planned to do! And that also goes for those ministers who began well with God, and are now Twisted in their sermonizing. These ministers were already pegged to be people who would betray God. Yet if any one of these ministers were chosen by God, then you better hold onto your tongue, because God will do what is in His Good Purpose.
Peter betrayed, and was reconciled.
Judas betrayed and hung himself.
And yet the Lord chose both.
I have a question today for you/the reader…
you feel like a piece of carpet at times?
you feel like you always give in?
you feel like you are the one who is always making the sacrifice, while others sit idle, and allow you to do it all?
you feel as if you enable more than fix?
Do you allow yourself to listen to more of what the World says about you, or do you allow Jesus to help you in bearing the weight of the Cross?
To be a servant to Christ is, was, and will never be an easy task; yet the burden is LIGHT if you will allow Him to bear the Cross with you.
And too,
it may surprise you just how much God is working; not only in your life, but also in the lives of others…
His works cannot be seen if we aren’t a witness to them.
Luv 2 U in Christ Jesus,
oxysmoron
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