30 March 2016

ANOTHER ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF DISCIPLESHIP (2)

By John Ollis

In our last blog we looked at the importance of developing our spiritual hearing, and the place of a Mentor to assist us  in developing our ability to hear the voice of God, whether it be through meditating on the Word of God,  or discerning the “still small voice” within, or through hearing the preaching of God’s Word etc. Ever remember, that what ever God says to you, it will always line up and agree with the Word of God.
Now, we come to developing our spiritual sight, so many Christians never seem to develop this important spiritual sense,  Job said “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my EYE sees you (Job 42:5) Isaiah said I SAW the Lord high and lifted up (Is.6:1) The Lord wants to help us open our spiritual eyes, and see beyond the natural into the realm of the supernatural, again a Mentor can assist us, and help us discern. We use the word Illumination when it comes to meditating on the Word, God turns on the light, and we SEE what He wants us to know and understand.
Remember when Jesus said to the disciples “Lift up your eyes” he wasn’t speaking of natural sight, He was speaking of spiritual sight, He was saying despite what you see with your natural eyes IT IS HARVEST TIME NOW!. May the Lord help us not to be controlled and dictated too by what we see with our natural eyes, but see what the Lord wants to reveal to us.
Now, we come to the spiritual sense of touch, do you remember  the old chorus “reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by”? Thank God that as believers we can know and experience the manifest presence of God in our lives, but we must learn to be proactive, and like the woman with the issue of blood REACH OUT AND TOUCH THE LORD. Let us never take His presence for granted learn to live and walk in the Spirit.
Did you know there is the spiritual sense of smell? So many believers only experience the presence of God in a service of worship. There is a “fragrance” about the presence of God, and we must learn to appreciate it more and more, plus so carry the “fragrance” that people discern it, and even after we have left the room for people to say “the fragrance still lingers. I have told the story before about one day coming down to the lobby of the apartment block I was staying in, in Malaysia, I then thought I would use the bathroom, and as I was in there, my driver came, he could not see me, but he realised I could not be far away, as he could smell my cologne. May our lives so carry the presence of God that others are aware of the God’s fragrance upon us Amen. Do you remember the old chorus “His name is as ointment poured forth” O the fragrance of His presence.
Now we come to the spiritual sense of taste, the Psalmist said O taste and see that the Lord is good. We must learn to develop our spiritual sense of taste, and consequently develop a big spiritual appetite for the things of God.  One of the many reasons discipleship is so important is that a new believer must develop a strong spiritual appetite. We are living in a generation where so few believers spend much time in the Word of God. Unless we are fasting, we don’t like to miss a single meal, and yet, many Christians try and live on the Sunday sermon for a week, and wonder why by Wednesday they start to feel backslidden .I regularly pray “Lord increase my appetite for you and your Word”.

GOD WANTS US TO BE SPIRITUAL GLUTTONS

GOD WANTS US TO BE SPIRITUAL ALCOHOLICS

Natural gluttony is a sin, but we can NEVER have too much of God’s Word in our lives.

Natural excessive drinking of alcohol is also a sin, but we cannot have too much of God’s wine.

So how hungry are you for the Word of God? It is our ESSENTIAL DAILY food. How much time do you spend reading, studying and meditating in the Word of God? Do you need your spiritual taste sense to be greatly increased? ?

Paul tells us in Eph.5:18 to be continually filled with the Spirit, not just a one off experience that may have happened 20 years ago, but today are you filled ? are you DRINKING THE WINE OF THE SPIRIT ???????

everyone of these 5 spiritual senses need to be developed in our lives, very occasionally a believer seems to stumble on these senses and they develop them, but most of us need help. Here are some questions for you :

Have you been discipled and did someone walk with you into maturity?

Do you spend time with God and His Word every day ?

Do you currently have a Mentor ? If not seek out one today.

Part of our glorious spiritual inheritance, is the opportunity to develop these 5 spiritual senses, they are not just for the super Christian but for every believer.

I want to encourage to read and re-read this blog, I trust it will challenge you to make a decision to start developing your spiritual senses, get along side a Mentor, and let him teach and train you to use these senses.

The writer to Hebrews touches on this principle  in 5:13-14 immature (untrained) believers simply drink milk (like a baby) but the mature, those who by reason of using (exercising)  their spiritual senses can discern good and evil (that which is true and false).

As a parent we would be so concerned if we had a teenager who laid around all day and said “give me a bottle I’m thirsty” and then sucked on the bottle like a baby. Yet, the Bible says so many believers never develop their spiritual senses and remain as babies.

I trust this blog has made you think, if you need any clarification or want to make some comments please respond, either subscribe to the blog (information is on the blog page) or email me on [email protected] or respond to my Facebook page.

God bless you as you start this spiritual journey of developing and increasing the use of your spiritual senses.