Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Thursday, August 2, 2012

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

Spiritual Initiative Part 6

Spiritual Initiative to Take the Next Step Taking Possession of Your Soul! Luke 21:19

Luke 21:19, “By your perseverance take possession of your souls.”

We are commanded to “gain control over our own souls”, that is, resist the temptations of the sin nature, and apply God’s Word to route out the garbage in our souls.

Sometimes our spiritual walk does not have the same vitality that it previously had. As a result your spiritual energy is drained.

These are the times we must learn to express our spiritual life consistently by forming the mind of Christ in our souls, Phil 2:5, through GAP.

Phil 2:5, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Anything you desire to do, if you are going to succeed at it, takes patience and endurance. 1 Cor 9:25-27

Rev 3:18, “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself.”

Therefore, we need to take in the Word of God consistently over a long period of time; and apply it on a consistent basis.

Many believers prefer to stay at the entrance to the Christian life, instead of going on to create and build their soul. Eph 4:11-16

Sometimes we fail because we are ignorant of the way God has made us, and we blame things on the devil that are actually the result of our own undisciplined natures.

Rom 7:19, “For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”

Psa 17:15, “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.”

Luke 9:32, “Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.”

Eph 5:14, “For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you”.”

Rev 16:15, “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”

It is a continual struggle not to listen to the moods which arise from our physical condition. We must never submit to them. Prov 29:11; Eccl 10:4; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 4:26-31; Col 3:8-9; James 1:19-21

Prov 29:11, “A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back.”

Eccl 10:4, “If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses.”

The Christian life is one of spiritual initiative, courage and determination lived out in our flesh.

2 Cor 10:5b, “And we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Rom 14:19, “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”

How do we “Take the Next Step”?

2 Cor 6:4, “But in everything commending ourselves as servants of God; in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses.”

It takes much more of the grace of God, and greater awareness of drawing upon Him, to take that next step.

The thing that testifies for God is steady perseverance, even when the work cannot be seen by others. Rom 2:6-7; 5:3-5; 8:25; 15:4-5

The only way to live an undefeated life is to live looking to God. Heb 12:2-3

Carnality and reversionism can creep up on you slowly, but it does not take long to do less in the spiritual life!

Enter into your own spiritual initiative and you will overcome any depression, despair, drudgery or daydreaming that may be locked in to your soul or tempting you away from God.

Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, August 2, 2012 Tape # Spiritual Initiative, Part 6 The Spiritual Initiative to Take the Next Step! Luke 21:19; Rom 2:6-7; 5:3-5; 8:25; 15:4-5; 1 Cor 9:25-27; Rev 16:15 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012