Spiritual people tend not to be able to maintain the crescendo of the salvation experience for long. With a burst they live miraculous, hope-filled faith lives, yet eventually the spiritual fervour settles into a groove at best; a back-sliding at worst. We seem destined to lose our way. It’s our history and it’s our nature. And not only do many never come to truly know God, many who claim to know him never really do in the truest sense.
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It is so difficult to have the continual deeper spiritual life. There are so many sacrifices -- for instance, rejection of worldly, carnal living -- that have to be made. These sacrifices have to be made if our spiritual relationship with God is to be internalised. Externalism is never enough. Yet there are many who think ‘that’s it.’
It is so difficult to have the continual deeper spiritual life. There are so many sacrifices -- for instance, rejection of worldly, carnal living -- that have to be made. These sacrifices have to be made if our spiritual relationship with God is to be internalised. Externalism is never enough. Yet there are many who think ‘that’s it.’
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Externalism is sacrifice for the wrong reasons -- sacrifice without love, without true spiritual hunger. It’s head knowledge without the heart engaged. Form, ceremony and tradition (without Christ’s love) speak of sacrifice for the wrong reasons. God sent prophets to rebuke externalism; even today he has ‘minor prophets’ with the same mission.
Externalism is sacrifice for the wrong reasons -- sacrifice without love, without true spiritual hunger. It’s head knowledge without the heart engaged. Form, ceremony and tradition (without Christ’s love) speak of sacrifice for the wrong reasons. God sent prophets to rebuke externalism; even today he has ‘minor prophets’ with the same mission.
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A.W. Tozer speaks of the deeper spiritual life as the difference between a diamond and bass drum. The true spiritual life is the diamond; easy to miss, it can lie hidden in the crease of your pocket, yet it remains infinitely valuable and ever-potent. The bass drum on the other hand is big (easy to spot) and noisy, yet it’s a dime a dozen, so to speak. External (carnal) Christians are to bass drums what spiritual Christians are to diamonds. There’s nothing wrong with their lives, from a carnal viewpoint, and they live ‘normally.’ But the Christian life is meant to be a miracle, like the Noah in the flood -- set apart from the flood but floating on it. Christian living is extraordinary or nothing at all. Encountering God is never ho-hum.
A.W. Tozer speaks of the deeper spiritual life as the difference between a diamond and bass drum. The true spiritual life is the diamond; easy to miss, it can lie hidden in the crease of your pocket, yet it remains infinitely valuable and ever-potent. The bass drum on the other hand is big (easy to spot) and noisy, yet it’s a dime a dozen, so to speak. External (carnal) Christians are to bass drums what spiritual Christians are to diamonds. There’s nothing wrong with their lives, from a carnal viewpoint, and they live ‘normally.’ But the Christian life is meant to be a miracle, like the Noah in the flood -- set apart from the flood but floating on it. Christian living is extraordinary or nothing at all. Encountering God is never ho-hum.
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The average believer is not after spiritual progress. They stay where they are for five years or more and if anything they slip back. They perform cliché and focus on doctrine at best, thinking they’re doing God a service. How wrong they are! Spiritual progress is what we’re here for; it is the very essence of our purpose. If we do not derive meaning along our journey and use that for growth we’re wasting air. And we’ll feel inherently empty.
The average believer is not after spiritual progress. They stay where they are for five years or more and if anything they slip back. They perform cliché and focus on doctrine at best, thinking they’re doing God a service. How wrong they are! Spiritual progress is what we’re here for; it is the very essence of our purpose. If we do not derive meaning along our journey and use that for growth we’re wasting air. And we’ll feel inherently empty.
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What about the person who wants to “Be somebody!” -- driven valiantly all their lives to achieve, then he or she dies, having never achieved an iota of the real meaning to life.
What about the person who wants to “Be somebody!” -- driven valiantly all their lives to achieve, then he or she dies, having never achieved an iota of the real meaning to life.
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Spirituality is “concern with things of the spirit.” It is preoccupation with what concerns human inner nature (especially ethical or ideological values); “Socrates’ inwardness, integrity, and inquisitiveness” - H.R. Finch.
Spirituality is “concern with things of the spirit.” It is preoccupation with what concerns human inner nature (especially ethical or ideological values); “Socrates’ inwardness, integrity, and inquisitiveness” - H.R. Finch.
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Spirituality is inwardness and the ability to consecrate oneself to God. It’s nothing about surrounding ourselves with people. It’s the simple life. The hungry heart seeks the truth -- the cold hard truth. It seeks and continues seeking, and never stops until breath is no more.
Spirituality is inwardness and the ability to consecrate oneself to God. It’s nothing about surrounding ourselves with people. It’s the simple life. The hungry heart seeks the truth -- the cold hard truth. It seeks and continues seeking, and never stops until breath is no more.
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Spirituality is not about how far have we’ve come. It’s nothing to do with what you’ve accomplished -- like sport; we’re only as good as our last game. We know this in our souls when we’ve had close times with God, then lost our way for a week or so -- we feel abandoned -- yet we abandoned him!
Spirituality is not about how far have we’ve come. It’s nothing to do with what you’ve accomplished -- like sport; we’re only as good as our last game. We know this in our souls when we’ve had close times with God, then lost our way for a week or so -- we feel abandoned -- yet we abandoned him!
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Spirituality is about which way we’re headed. What direction are we pointing in?
Spirituality is about which way we’re headed. What direction are we pointing in?
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Is your spirituality social? Is it a once or twice a week tradition? Do you truly consecrate yourself daily (and moment-by-moment) to the Lord your God?
Is your spirituality social? Is it a once or twice a week tradition? Do you truly consecrate yourself daily (and moment-by-moment) to the Lord your God?
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Copyright © 2008, S.J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Copyright © 2008, S.J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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