All tagged physical
Experiencing religion, and the dichotomy of man, will be our topic of study today. We will explore who we are, and those moments of religious experience that are so important and life changing for us. Moments like our new birth in Christ, baptism, communion, Christening, marriage, foot washing, receiving the Holy Spirit, and all the other experiences of faith that form our lives, as well as our faith, and worship.
When we are walking this physical world and living our physical lives, we are prone to pay attention to those things of this world and the comforts of our bodies. Although we feel the urging of the Spirit, it is easily pushed aside when the world calls. My morning reading was so right when it said that flesh and blood do not enjoy dedicating time and attention to prayer. Prayer requires an emotional and physical outpouring of ourselves and takes up one of the resources we value most in this life... Time.
We are creatures of both natural and spiritual construction. It is God’s desire that our natural selves be disciplined, and come under the authority of the spiritual, but that wild and unschooled nature is not a passive student in this transition. Have you gained control over your natural self? Are you waiting for God to make this choice for you? Well, He has His desire, but the choice remains yours.
Where do we make our abode? Where is our place of residence? This morning we are trying to determine whether we claim our earthly home as our permanent residence, or whether we list our heavenly home as such. Then there are also the times, in our travels, that home becomes the place where we simply lay our head.
Today I want to pray a blessing over you; the same prayer of blessing that was prayed in Hebrews. Many of you are Pastors, Saints, and Missionaries, who have prayed this blessing over others, but it is especially relevant to your calling, and your lives. Today I ask for God to equip you with every good thing you need as you go about doing His will, and the good work in us that you have been called to do. For some this equipment will be new, but to most it has already been given... if you will only open your eyes, and trust in His provision as you witness to others, and save souls with these tools of faith.
We run races for exercise, and keep our bodies fit by eating well, and doing those things that are good for us, so that by doing this we might add a few short years to our lives, but when we do spiritual exercises in which our belief is helped, and our faith is strengthened, then we add all of eternity to our lives. The question becomes; which is of more value to us, our godliness, or bodily training?