Spiritual Maturity - Part 1

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2 Peter 3:17-18 says: "Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen"

Peter urges us to grow and we are told the only way that meets with Christ's standards is to grow in Grace. In 2 Peter 3, verse 18 builds onto the previous one and we are able to grow in grace when we grasp with our heart, the full weight of verse 17. - As we move forward in grace we remain steadfast in our walk with Him, which mean we are living committed and surrendered life where we take our cues from the Holy Spirit, we remain in Scriptures and grounded in the faith because we found something so precious in Him that we cannot afford to leave His sight and nothing else on earth catches our interests. We hinder our Spiritual growth in several ways and all comes down to the fact that most of us do not understand what we believe in simply because the idea of Salvation coming from the pulpit does not even begin to describe what God means by Salvation. - True Salvation is nothing short of finding the heart of God the father and when you do, you cannot help living in constant amazement of your found treasure. Sadly, our lack of commitment to the faith and our need to keep our options open instead of letting Christ take over our lives, says it all.

Commitment to the faith here does not imply what we do outwardly like regular Church attendance, pray, read our Bible, sing songs and try to act like Christians. While all these outward activities are good things, but there needs to be a commitment to the faith that stemmed from a repentant heart filled with gratitude for having been apprehended by Christ while we were yet sinners and totally ignorant of Him. What is the point of doing church things while we indulge in our sins like unbelievers? If you have not reached the point where the smallest sin is repulsive to you because of who you are inside, then you are wise to question what you have received so far and what are you building your Christians life on. - Repulsion of sin does not put you in a category above other Christians; it simply says that you have indeed been born again. Think about it, if sinning is natural to you, then what sets you apart from the unbelievers?

Another hindrance is that we do not have true faith. Remember faith is a gift from God and long before we decide to take Christ into our heart there was a work being done in the spiritual realm on our behalf. - Today's diluted Gospel has changed all that, we go on thinking that we can coerce Christ into accepting empty and meaningless rituals as if He is not able to see our hearts and what is truly taking place. So we go about getting people to say the sinner's prayer for various reasons, sometimes it falls under a well disguised intimidation, sometimes people respond to us and let us lead them to saying the sinner's prayer because they want to play it safe, so their motives are wrong to begin with; sometimes they get carried away by their own emotions and sometimes Christ moved them to say the sinner's prayer because He has been preparing their hearts for a long time. While it is not up to us to judge what is in people's heart, but any one with an ounce of spiritual discernment can see today's Christianity is in big trouble as the Church is walking away from the truth and we are left with empty words, rituals and religion. - If we cannot see that's true, then we are in much bigger trouble because the unbelievers can see beside our rituals we are no different from them so they are turned off.

We are forewarned to be careful of things like today's Gospel which underlines spiritual maturity as an option so people would not feel burden by Christianity. However, spiritual maturity is not an option; it is indeed the aftereffect of true Salvation through grace and the Gospel being worked in us through His grace which flows from us because of Christ and the Holy Spirit living within us. If we claim to have been saved, we claimed we have received Christ within, then why is it we have majority of so called Christians in the Pews with not an ounce of desire to go further spiritually? - No desire whatsoever to get to know Him? - If you have been in the Church for a while now, and you still feel you are not going forward spiritually speaking, do not despair and do not go to someone else either; I urge you to go directly to Him and BELIEVE that if truly you are seeking for Him, you will indeed find Him - This is His promise to us! - Let go of all doubts that encumber you and do not let yourself believe like an abstract idea floating in your head; take the time to be silent before Him and inform your mind what you want your heart to go with, and ask Him to bring Holy repentance into your heart and to help you leave behind that need to take on messages that tickle your ears, and to make you willing to be willing to do His will and walk with Him upwardly according to the whole truth of the Gospel in the righteousness of Christ.

M.J. Andre is an aspiring writer who has learned true Christianity at the feet of God through brokenness and seven years of unending and excruciating wilderness process that left the soul undone!

Copyright 2012
http://www.apprehended.ca/

I LIVE TO KNOW YOU LORD!

Spiritual Healing

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Spiritual healing increases

Increasing numbers of people are embracing "alternative" healing to mainstream Western medicine. One reason for this is that Western medicine excels at treating symptoms, but does not address the cause of the ailment.

It has also, very unfortunately become big business.

One healing modality that is seeing a huge resurgence is spiritual healing, which is focused on addressing the cause of the ailment, and less on alleviating symptoms by physical means such as medicines and surgery.

What is spiritual healing?

Spiritual healers believe that all disease, sickness and even injuries have spiritual causes. Unless the cause is remedied, treatment of the symptoms will be ineffective.

Spiritual healing is still outside the mainstream, but even staunch supporters of the western approach have admitted that phenomena such as spontaneous healing, spontaneous remission and other "miracles" exist.

Modern medical practitioners and scientists are still baffled as to how this is possible... but with the continued study of quantum physics, the answers are beginning to come.

Mind... Body... Spirit Connection

The mind/body/spirit connection operates on the principle that everything is energy, and various types or qualities of energy have the ability to positively or negatively affect the surrounding energy.

A patient's state of mind can be the difference between healing and a long, drawn-out illness. The state of the body likewise influences the patient's emotional state; so gaining mastery of the mind and using the power of positive thinking is essential to healing.

But spiritual healing goes deeper.

The success of healing via spiritual means relies on the patient's belief that we are part of the Divine, not at all separate, but part of the vast ocean of energy that created everything, and IS everything.

The patient is taught to look within for the source of his or her illness, disease or injury rather than attributing it to external causes.

The first step in healing is teaching the patient to change his or her false belief of separateness from the Universal Divine Consciousness. It teaches that each of us has the same Divine ability as the Universal Consciousness to create anything, including perfect health.

This One-ness with all that is results in a spiritual awakening, which is often accompanied by spontaneous healing.

Perfect Health
The aim is to create perfect health through One-ness and acceptance of our Divine nature.

Spiritual healing does not rely on a "higher power" to heal. It is One-ness with that energy of Divine Universal Consciousness that gives us the same powers - except we are, for the most part, blind to that ability or refuse to believe it.

Exercise...

Imagine yourself as a single drop in an endless ocean that has no beginning, no end, no surface, no bottom...

Where do "you" begin and where do "you" end?Where does the "rest of the ocean" begin?How do you separate one drop from the rest of the water?

Contemplating this helps you understand your One-ness, and the fact that you have the same power as the ocean itself.

YOU have the power to heal.

Julie Lewin is a world renowned authentic Medical Intuitive and Meditation Teacher and has created a unique healing system by using creative and spontaneous visualization. As well as teaching meditations, she also teaches how to live your authentic purpose, and how to live a profound life on her website - http://www.spirituallysensitivesouls.com/. To find out more about her medical intuitive work go to http://www.julielewin.com/.

Spiritual Fiction Books - "Shadow of Light"

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"Shadow of Light" by Rodney Christian Power is a very good spiritual fiction book. I have to disclose that the book was sent me for the purpose of providing a review, that Mr. Power is Canadian (so am I) and that his middle name is Christian (so am I). If this taints my review in your opinion, it shouldn't. He has written a very good book, and I wish he had signed it for me.

IT'S LIFE, CAPTAIN, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT...
Ever wonder what the end of the world will be like right before the end? This book may or may not let you know, because it will depend on where YOU are when that comes about. It will also depend on whether or not you believe that the world ends when YOU end. If you happened to be an 82-year-old woman and you dropped dead at the altar of a church, that would be the end of your physical life on Earth, wouldn't it? I believe that would be the beginning of your life in Heaven, however what if a Junior Angel from up above had a different idea? What if he chose to "occupy" your body in an attempt to alter (not altar) the events yet to happen on Earth? Now we have the beginning of a spiritual fiction book, whether or not you believe.

Sarius is the Junior Angel, Kathleen Kelly is the 82-year-old lady whose physical body he occupies, and Brooks Hennessey, his wife Rachel, their dog Reggie and the parrot Arcturus are a few of the characters that he/she encounters after the takeover. If you have even a passing interest in golf, or love to hear and read about the arrogant upper class getting it "put to them", then you will be hooked once Mrs. Kelly challenges Charles Baird, a multi-millionaire at the prestigious Southcott Golf and Country Club, to a match play game over 18 holes for $1,000,000 a hole. Reading about this game is worth reading the book, regardless of your knowledge or interest in golf.

Stories within Stories...
There are stories within the book that have to deal with the end of the world, man's (and woman's) reaction to it, and some fairly technical jargon about stars, space quantum things and spatial interaction, etc. However you do not need any techno-geek knowledge to still enjoy the book (and find out the outcome of the golf game!). To be honest, in my case I ignored most of what I didn't understand. It was enough to know that a star was headed toward the planet named Earth, and even if it didn't hit directly, the fallout would be that there would be no Earth, at least not the one (piece) we have become familiar with.

The Ending, but Not Necessarily The End...
I do consider myself a good book reviewer, so I won't give away the entire ending. Earth doesn't end, and even if it did, there would be remnants of it in the atmosphere. Yes, even you and I would continue in some form, because according to the knowledge we have gathered TO DATE, matter can neither be created nor destroyed, only changed from one form to another. My thoughts? They are created daily..

The Book Title - THAT'S what I want to write about...
"Shadow of Light". I really like that title, and I didn't even give it a thought when I first held the book in my hands. A shadow is usually something ominous, unless you are in the desert at high noon. Shadows are dark and dangerous places, where musty, smelly things live, and a place you want to avoid if you are a character in a slash and kill movie. How, then, can a shadow also be a place of light?

The last time I wrote that "things happen for a reason" I was accused of being a do-good westerner who had never experienced hardship or seen little children murdered and starved to death by other so-called humans. It is true - I have never experienced that. Things either happen for a reason, or they don't happen for a reason - you can't have it one way without the opposite being true. I have no explanation for the choices people make, and harming another creature has no place in any culture.

The title "Shadow of Light" for me is another way of saying that things happen for a reason. In the book, terrible things are about to (and in some cases, do) happen, yet at the end of the book there is light and renewal. A shadow that was to descend on our Earth suddenly becomes light because of the choices that some of the characters in the book make. Was that the author's intent? I'm not sure so you'll have to ask him, however I don't think I'm far off.

"Shadow of Light" is one of the better books I have read, and it is very well laid out, excellently edited and very entertaining. You will fall in love with Mrs. Kelly and applaud her efforts on the golf course (why can't I leave the golf game alone?). If nothing else, if you ever feel that a shadow is descending on you, remember that it takes light to make a shadow, and light will eventually appear again.

Laughter and love,

Rick Fess
"Shadow of Light" Rodney Christian Power

Narrow Road Press www.sheafhouse.com

And if you would like to know more about me and my upcoming book "Is There More?", please visit http://www.spiritualfictionbooks.com/ to access my weekly blog. I regularly review books on spirituality and self-improvement, particularly spiritual fiction books. You can also contact me through the website if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for your interest.

Laughter and love,

Rick Fess

Books Can Help In Spiritual Growth

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Books are essentially the sources that help us in improving our life by reading stories, concepts and true events. People, who are suffering from obesity and other health problems, can read books on health issues and thus, benefit from them. In fact, these health books are the best recommended books for people who want to stay fit. With the information available from the books you read, you can amplify your knowledge pool. Significantly, you can find a lot of books that can inspire you and develop you as a person.

There are several books that help in the spiritual growth of people. Some of them are-Awakening of Buddha, Power of Flow, Soul's Code and the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. These are the finest spiritual books that claim to have influenced the lives of millions of people across the globe. It is not difficult finding good books online. These books help us to find solutions to our problems. They develop our personality. Reading such books improves our knowledge and also aids the development of our spiritual self. Such books can help us better ourselves and become better human beings.

For people who are religious, they can also find a large number of books on theology and its related aspects and principles. Books can be also be in the form of teachings by a spiritual or religious leaders. By reading such books we get an insight into their lives and we tend to learn important lessons. These books and their underlying thoughts can motivate and inspire people to deal with daily struggles of life.

In addition, there are several other genres for all those lovers of reading. These may be fictional, non fictional, fantasy, business, sports and health, suspense, thriller, drama, etc. These books offer extensive knowledge based on each of their subjects. Some of those can be thought provoking and help us become better persons. Apparently, books like self improvement, personal rituals and conscious living are the books that help individuals to grow as a person and as well as a professional.

Spirituality teaches us to become better persons. These books tend to leave lasting impact on the lives of its readers. While a person may not believe in religion or god yet he needs some guiding light in his life to move on. Spiritual books are just the perfect books for such people. They teach and show us to be better humans. A lot of users have recommended spiritual books as the best reading practices. The topic or subject matter of these books may vary according to the preference and choices of individual readers. These are widely available in online or on site bookstores at reasonable prices. However, finding good books online is a much better option for interested readers.

Rei Giulian is a passionate book reader. Not just him, but also you sometimes want to get a list of recommended books. Don't forget to check a good book recommendations that he likes.