Spiritual Nourishment Part 2

Spiritual Nourishment Part 2:

So, what really matters when it comes to a life that is set apart and pleasing to God?

• Our Worship and love for God (Living a Spirit filled life - daily Worship)
• The Condition of our hearts (Attitude of surrender and obedience to God)
• The way we treat our bodies (Stewardship of the Body)
• The things we fill our minds with  (Stewardship of the Soul)
• The way we treat others (Loving our neighbor)
• Our Christ-likeness modeled for the world to see (Ambassador for Jesus or self?)
• Our understanding of good and evil (Do we have a biblical worldview?)

Our Goal as followers of Jesus is to live a life set apart to God. However, when we feel separated from God, we should take a seriously look at the things we are filling our minds and our bodies with.

Followers of Jesus should ask themselves these questions: 

1. Are there things in my life that build walls of separation between me and my   

    Heavenly Father? 

 2. Can I be defined as a hypocrite when it comes to some things I say and some 

     things I do? 

I am sure we all can answer yes to both questions. Through the discernment of living a   Holy Spirit filled and directed life, we can detect where we are sinning against God and where our actions are not lining up with the principles we espouse. We should all strive to take our head knowledge and put it into practice. 

God's Word is our source of spiritual nourishment. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we gain a deeper understanding of God's Word and principles, and are able to live in accordance to them. 

It is God's desire to nourish us spiritually and fill us with true joy. It is His desire to replace a wrong worldview with an eternal biblical perspective that gives us a true picture of what a God centered life looks like. It is up to us, (our free will) to be willing to live for Him. Living a life that only aims to please oneself is fleeting at best.

We are warned about living unwisely. As followers of Christ we need to be careful how we live.The Bible tells us to live with wisdom.

Ephesians 5:15-16 New International Version 1984 

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every

opportunity, because the days are evil.

The truth is this: we need daily transformation that changes our worldly perspective into a

Godly perspective on life. With this Godly perspective we can discern how we are to live a life pleasing to God. Living a life set apart to God is real life, filled with blessing for us and pleasure for Him. We can bring pleasure to God through our worship and praise (acknowledging who He is - His attributes - and all the marvelous things He has done). We can bring God pleasure by the way we treat others and love. The Apostle Paul instructs us in the principles of how we can please God with our bodies and our minds. This one passage from the Book of Romans gives us the big picture on what God desires from us.

Romans 12:1-2 New International Version 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Ah ha! The key -  become a living sacrifice in body and in mind (By sacrifice in mind we forgo what is common to the world in thought and replace it with God's reality)

Here are some more verses on how we should live in the presence of God and His response to the way in which we live for Him.

 

Romans 14:17-18 New Living Translation 

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 

Psalm 98:1-3 New Life Version (NLV)

Sing a new song to the Lord. For He has done great things. His right hand and His holy arm have won the fight for Him. The Lord has made His saving power known. He has shown to the nations how right and good He is. He has shown His loving-kindness and how beautiful He is to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of our God.

Psalm 147:10-11 Good News Translation (GNT)

His pleasure is not in strong horses, nor his delight in brave soldiers;
but he takes pleasure in those who honor him, in those who trust in his constant love.

Living a life pleasing to God requires sacrifice and transformation on our part and requires spiritual growth. Everybody worships something in their life. But it is God's desire and command that we worship only Him. Worshiping God has a lot to do with the understanding of who He is and what He has done. All this information is contained in the Bible where He has revealed Himself clearly. The Bible is His-story (History)

Here is what God desires when it come to worship:

 Luke 4:8 New International Version 1984 

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only

Exodus 20:1-6 New International Version 

And God spoke all these words:

 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

 “You shall have no other gods before me.

 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

As far as the sacrifice part goes, Jesus gives us the way to do it. Die to self.

Matthew 16:24 New International Version 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Let’s also take a look at what Apostle Paul says about how spiritual transformation and growth take place:

Colossians 3:16 New International Version 1984 
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Ephesians 4:22-24 New International Version 

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds;  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness

Colossians 3:1-3 New Living Translation 

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

 

Jesus tells us about how obedience to the Word is not only nourishing to the soul but also a sign of our love for Him.

1 John 2:3-6 NIV

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live  in him must walk as Jesus did.

John 14:21 NIV 
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

John 14:23 NIV 
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 15:10 NIV 
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

  

Luke 11:28 NIV 
He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

With spiritual nourishment comes wisdom and understanding. It is evident in the early church that the understanding of God’s principles were beneficial to ones walk with God, and equipped one in service to His kingdom.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples  of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

2 Timothy 3:15 AMP

And how from your childhood you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ Jesus [through the leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness.

Matthew 7:24-27 NIV

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock..........

James 1:25 NIV

But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

      

Some more benefits of Godly wisdom and understanding:

Joshua 1:8 NIV

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Colossians 2:2 NIV  
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

Philemon 1:6 NIV
I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

1 John 5:20 NIV  
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true.  And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Proverbs 2:1-7 New International Version 1984 

 Moral Benefits of Wisdom

 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright,  he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

Proverbs 3:1-2 NIV

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.

Because of the many distractions in this life, along with the enemy who is working hard to derail us from our mission, we must be on constant guard for our spiritual well being. There is a risk of becoming spiritually complacent where we feel we can take a break from growing spiritually. This is dangerous territory and leaves us open for attack from our enemy.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Because of all these factors and more, we are going to need help to stand firm in our faith. God’s Word and the Holy Spirit will provide that help. Daily spiritual nourishment consisting of the reading and study God’s Word, prayer, meditation, and time alone with God will help to keep us connected to God and His wise counsel, equipping us to face the challenges of being a follower of Jesus in a fallen world.

With God’s Word at the forefront of our thoughts, we can discern what is real truth in this life.

It is God’s truth that will set us free.

Jesus said this:

John 8:31-32 NIV

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

So let’s remember to be thankful for all God has done to give us a hope and a future. Let’s continue to mature in our faith and trust in God through a consistent diet of real truth. Let's strive for daily Spiritual Nourishment and continue to make living for God the number priority in our lives. Let's actively bless God by the way we live and by the way we worship.

Just Sayin……………..Dave

Spiritual Nourishment Part 1

Spiritual Nourishment Part 1:

We all need to be nourished physically and spiritually. I know when I don't get fed physically

I get a bit cranky. When I don't get my dose of caffeine I get down right lethargic and non conversational. Thank goodness for my wife Deena who has in the past even offered to drive me to Starbucks while I was slumped over in our Van with my head bobbing back and forth due to lack of sleep and a desire to venture out into the world. She knows that for a good cup of coffee, I might even go with her to the fabric store. She is well aware of the  energizing effect that Coffee has on me physically and psychologically. Coffee changes my attitude and  "perks" me up. Without it, sad to say, I'm just not running on all cylinders.

Even the spiritual side of my life is like this as well. My attitude and perspective get off kilter when I don’t get my daily nourishment of God’s Word and relational time with God through prayer, praise and petition, If I don’t begin my day with a Godly perspective on life, my thoughts and attitudes can potentially revert back to my old way of thinking. This "Old Self" is the part of me that represents my deeds, attitude and perspective that defined me before I became a follower of Jesus.  This old self is not the most likable guy nor is he the kind of person anyone else would like. This old self reflects my sin nature and is a great reminder that I am a work in progress. So, for this reason, I try to wake up each day trying to connect with God on a deeper level. I regularly ask Him to give me the right perspective on life in order to help me keep the bigger picture in the forefront of my mind. My desire in the big picture perspective is to act in accordance to God's principals and to fulfill His good purpose. Most of all I want my life to reflect the heart of Jesus (the new self). My prayer is that I would be an ambassador for Christ and the work that is produced in me and through me would ultimately define me as a follower of Jesus, and yield a work that is beneficial to His kingdom.

So, there are two parts to this equation: First, in order to maintain and mature in our faith and trust in God it is very important that we prioritize our desire to deepen our relationship with Him. It is easy to say that we have this desire but how often do our words end up getting left by the curb without crossing the street. Second, in order to become a people that reflect Jesus in heart, attitude and action, we have to have a regular diet of spiritual nourishment.

Studying God’s Word can help us fulfill our mission for deeper relationship and spiritual growth. The effect of gaining a deeper understanding of God's Word carries a benefit to us and others. Not only do we begin to have a greater understanding of God’s principles, but we can offer that perspective to others as well. Applying what we learn, we help us mature in our faith, trust, and knowledge of God, all the while helping us to develop a greater love for God. Our deeper sense of who we are in Christ will reinforce the concept of dying to self interest in favor of God-centeredness as well as strengthen the desire to love our neighbor.

The Bible explains why God’s Word is so important:

Psalm 119:105 New International Version 1984    (For Direction in life)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:1-11 New International Version 1984

(For Blessing, to helps us stay in God’s will, to inspire us to live a life of praise to God, to help us set ourselves apart to Him, to shape our hearts and minds and remain obedient to His commands, to help us remain pure and not sin) 

Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!
Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.
I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.
I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

This verse from 2 Timothy below reminds me that as Ambassadors for Christ,

we have a greater responsibility to know what the Bible says so we can convey its

principles properly to others.

A person who loves God will analyze Scripture and convey the truth of God’s Word accurately. Always pray for the Holy Spirit to help you understand the meaning of what you  are reading and the opportunity to share it with someone. 

2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles (Divides) the word of truth.

A person who loves God will apply His principles to his or her life.

James 1:22 NIV
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Applying God’s principles means that we are willing to obey His Word. When we are obedient to God’s Word, we are proving that we love God:

John 14:15 NIV
(Jesus said) If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Loving God and applying His principles shows that we are serious about the spiritual side of our lives. We should continually ask ourselves, as we grow in our faith and trust in God, are we truly modeling Christ-like behavior both in our public and private life? The way to remain Christ-like is through the power and fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version 1984 

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

You see, one cannot correctly portray Christ-likeness without being connected to the Holy Spirit. In order to be to be filled by the Holy Spirit one must be allowing their life to be counseled and directed supernaturally by Him. We when live life separated from God, the Spirit in us will be constrained. We must always understand the non-righteous nature of our works. Only through Christ do our works bear fruit. Our works in themselves are seen as filthy rags.

Isaiah 64:6 New Living Translation 

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

We need the richness, conviction, and inspiration, that comes from God’s Word, to transform who we are from the inside out. Here is a statement from Bill Bright that we should take to heart.

 

Some people say, "I witness for Christ by living a good life." But it is not enough to live a good life. Many non-Christians live fine, moral, ethical lives. According to the Lord Jesus, the only way to demonstrate that you are truly following Him is to produce fruit, which includes introducing others to our Savior as well as living holy lives. And the only way you can produce fruit is through the power of the Holy Spirit.

John 15:5 NIV 
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

To really understand this above passage, we have to know what it means to remain in Christ. I suggest that remaining in Christ is to live a life filled with love for God and others, doing everything for God’s glory, and setting ourselves apart to Him by giving up our selfish desires in favor of living a life filled with prayer, worship, praise, obedience, love, and dedication to Him.

The reality is this: If we do not remain in Christ we will not produce fruit for His kingdom. We should continually ask ourselves these questions:

Are we continuing to grow in our relationship with Christ?

Are we allowing God’s Word to impact us to the point where we are living for Him first?

If we think we are, can we truly gauge our obedience to God? Ask yourself this question:

Am I obeying God’s command to live a Holy life?

1 Thessalonians 4:7 NIV

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

1 Peter 1:15 New Living Translation 

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

Obviously, No one can achieve holiness in this life, but those who are true followers of Christ make every effort to be obedient to this command. As followers of Jesus we should take a hard look at our lives. When we do, it may require that we make some significant changes in our behavior. The good news is that the Holy Spirit will help us make these changes. Through the sanctification process. (To make Holy, Act of God by which believers become more and more conformed to the image of Christ) The Holy Spirit continually works to transform our hearts and minds to be God centered as opposed to self centered.  

Here are some tips that can help us live Holier lives:

Rules for Holy Living from Colossians 3

• Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things
• Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature (Sexual immorality, lust, idolatry, evil desires, greed)
• Do not lie
• Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
• Forgive as the Lord forgave you
• Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts
• Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly
• Whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord
• Continually give thanks to God

Here are some verses that give real insight into what God desires for us.

Romans 12:1 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,

holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

John 4:24 NIV 
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Philippians 3:3 NIV  
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

Hebrews 12:28 NIV  
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so

worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

Luke 10:27 NIV
He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

Ephesians 1:4 New Living Translation 

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

Living a life set apart to God also means we are defined by how we reflect His Glory.

1 Corinthians 10:31 New International Version 1984 
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Next week part 2.

Just Sayin………………Dave