One of the important keys for spiritual growth is hunger and thirst. I must desire it with all my heart with all that is within me.
Another important key to spiritual growth; I must be willing to become a fool for God.
As spiritual growth happens in us we begin to think differently, reason differently and act differently. It does not happen overnight, it is a long slow process that happens over a matter of years. We are born of the spirit in a moment and the potential for a mature spiritual person is there, but I wonder if we will ever reach the fullness of that potential while we are still in this body.
When Pauline and I experienced the born-again spiritual experience and began to see and hear spiritual things, everyone in our church and family thought we had lost our mind and were crazy. All that had happened was that we had begun to see and hear what God wanted us to do and started doing it.
I expect there are some that want to be spiritual giants greatly used by God but you don’t want to upset anyone in your home or church. A strange thing happens when we begin to grow spiritually, people around us and in our churches get upset and you get rejected. That’s when you begin to understand some of the things that Jesus said; we will have division right in our homes and in our churches.
When the Holy Spirit begins a work in your home or in your church, there is going to be division. Why do the scriptures tell us; do not be unequally yoked? Can we even begin to guess how many churches have split; not because of man but because of the Holy Spirit.
If you are truly interested in Spiritual Growth, you are going to upset some people and might cause some problems in your church.
A friend of mine that was a pastor for many years; started a church and built it up to a sizeable church, he then had a wonderful experience with the holy spirit and tried to share it with the church and they voted him out.
I received the following from a person some of you know Nancy MacQueen. Thanks Nancy.
Hi Ralphie,
The last time you were here, you asked as you often do what was the last thing I heard from God. I have always had a hard time with that question as I have thought that I should have some great new awesome revelation. Great and awesome revelations don’t seem to be my way of functioning. I do hear from God frequently saying things like “Give so and so a call”or “pray this way”. Those are quite true in my life and are what you might call spiritual direction. However, His communication with me is so much more practical as I call on Him to help with sewing, housework, shopping–just daily stuff. He has given me insights to help in all those areas–and more. I am sometimes inclined to ask, “Lord, are you here with me?” and am comforted when I sense HIs “Yes, I am here.” So, today, if you ask what is the last thing I think the Lord said to me, I would answer, “I believe He told me to write this”.