Our lesson today will address generally the feeding of OUR spirit.We shall just share briefly on this...
The basic text is Phil 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
At creation God's intention for creating man was worship and fellowship with Him. We were to tend His creation. God's perfect plan!!
However, man fell ... We know the story
The general drift of my message is about the spirit that indwells us.
When we are born, we all have the "worldly spirit" (for the lack of a better expression), roho ya Adam - for our purposes today lets call this the wordly spirit.
When we are born again, God's spirit is reawakened in us, that does not mean the worldly spirit disappears. After all we are still in the world (but not of the world). Again for our purposes today we'll call that the Godly Spirit.
I put it to you that how we live our lives, every second, every minute dictates how our walk with Christ will be. Essentially how our inner spirit will evolve.
Now these two 'spirits' are 'feed' by matters about us. Recall the scripture - Phil 4:8? This is a call about what to set our mind on. The other day as we were at the Mwaombi, we were reminded to set our minds on things above.
COL 3: 1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
So that begs the question, if these two 'spirits' are 'feed' by matters about us, then how are they feed?
By the same senses that God has given us! The same way He gave Adam a choice to obey i.e. “you may eat of all the fruit in the garden except from the tree in the middle of the garden”, is the same way these senses are for us and we have been called to obey.
What we see, hear, taste, touch na pia smell contributes alot to the feeding of these 'spirits'. Indeed, what we set our minds on!!!
Hebu toune:
If you spend your entire evening watching TV and five minutes in prayer, what would you believe the effect would be? 0r spend the entire morning reading the newspaper and two minutes reading the bible?
Let me put it this way, these 'spirits' do not grow in unison - they are inversely related!!! When one is fed it grows while the other is malnourished!
See, instead of struggling to deal with the worldly spirit, the important thing is to allow God's spirit to grow. When that happens the worldly spirit is malnourished!! What do we usually pray, as Jesus said … that Lord may you increase as we?
One thing that we ought to know and really learn is that right now we are in the world. What that means is that our environment is only fertile for the worldly spirit to grow. Indeed it takes no effort for the wordly spirit to grow. Uki kaa tuu, ita grow bila effort. We are bombarded from kila side. I bet you thats why its easier mse kukuambia "go to hell" than it is to say "God bless"
What’s the point? Let’s not spend too much effort running away from the world, all the effort should be based on embracing God.
The more we read about Him, the more we talk to Him, the more we use all our senses in running to Him - the more He will "run" to us.
When the bible says in James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
It does not mean that God yuko away! It means that we set our hearts on Him, that we strengthen hio bond, that tuwache kuwa double minded.
As we draw near to Him, our eyes will be opened wider of His very presence with us!!! His spirit in us will grow soooooo big, we shall be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him - after all He cannot deny Himself!!!!!
Yaani, the wordly spirit will be soo malnourished: utakuwa na issues all around you – ndio; utakuwa na shida za kidunia – ndio; lakini they will have no hold on you!! Utabaki ka Paul, I know what it is to have much, and I know what it is to lack. Uta kuwa ukisema with authority: greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world! You will be walking with God.
So ndugu na dada zangu:
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Ule mse aliandika hizo words alikuwa amefungwa jela, ame chapwa, amepitia all manner of storms! What made him strong? He set his mind on things above! He who was in him was sooooooooo much greater than he who was in the world.
So today, I am encouraging you so greatly, review how you are feeding your 'spirit'. Which is growing at the others expense? Take a spiritual health check and see how you are doing.
And like Paul said ... I say to you:
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
God richly bless you as you grow in Him.
Shared by Pappa At the Mwafrika chatroom on Friday Sept 25, 2009
PS: For spiritual health check tool, get in touch with Pappa.
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