EVIDENCE OF YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH OR JOURNEY. By Alorite Olanrewaju
EVIDENCE OF YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH OR JOURNEY.
Before I go deep into the scripture, let unleash a Bible verse.
1cor 3:1-3
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;
3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?
You see this verse is saying that we support to be a teacher but we are still a baby with our behaviors.
Many church's abuse each other and we say we are one body of Christ, with this then we are still a baby.
For not wasting much of our time, what are the evidence of your growth or your spiritual journey?
We will look into four places in the scripture.
1. GILGAL
2. BETHEL
3. JERICHO
4. JORDAN
1. GILGAL: gilgal is a place of beginning or a place of renewal 2king 2:1-2 & Joshua 5:9.
2king 2:1-2
1 And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel.
Joshua 5:9
9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal c to this day.
2. BETHEL: bethel mean the place of the alter or worship. Is also a place of step, the place were you make step forward. Gen 12:7-8 & 2king 2:2-3
Gen 12:7-8
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
2king 2:2
2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel.
3 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent!"
So you can see that the next place Alijah and Alisha went to is Bethel, they did not remain in Gilgal, they move unto Bethel. That is to tell you that Gilgal is not a place you can stay for a long time, you must move ✈️.
And as you can see the story of Alijah and Alisha is a real picture of discipleship, it is not your mentor that will be following, it is you that will be following your mentor.
Many will say I want you to be my mentor but they want you to be following them up and down.
So I believed we are moving.
3. JERICHO: Jericho is a place where you meet the holy ghost and change your life or where you started receiving instructions from the Lord, it is also the place of surrender, where you surrender everything to the Lord, where you no longer fight the battle by your self again but God.
Joshua 5:12-15 & Joshua 6:1-4
Joshua 5:12-15
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?"
14 So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"
15 Then the Commander of the Lord`s army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.
Joshua 6:1-4
1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.
2 And the Lord said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams` horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
You see that place is not a place were you will be paying for all your enimies should, because the battle is not for you but God.
If your enimies should die it should not be from your prayers but from the dicesion of the most high God. And moreover if God is for you, your enimies don't need to die because the Lord will prepare a table in the present of your enimies.
So if God is of you, your enimies can't do you anything.
4. JORDAN: Jordan is a place of confirmation or a place where start your ministry by confirmation. 2king 2:6-12 & math 3:13-17.
2king 2:6-12
6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on.
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.
8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."
10 So he said, You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."
11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.
Math 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
As you can see the above write up of Jordan that Jordan is a place of confirmation, but unfortunately many call their self minister of God but they have not been confirmed at all, how do I know.
The scripture make us realize that when Jesus started his ministry he was giving and make him self as a servant to others. Mark 10:44-45
44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
But many want to be the first and at the same time the boss, which is very wrong.
I belief we are blessed with this word.
THE END
Comments
Post a Comment