Spiritual Maturity

Well it has been a while since my last blog, but not do to lack of growth. I believe the Lord has been working on me and showing me things that I need change about myself in order to grow stronger in my faith. And I believe that what He has communicated to me via the Holy Spirit, He told me to share with others. The object of the blog is designed to help others out through my own experiences, not to show people that I am more knowledgeable about scripture. It is my hope that through my trials and experiences someone else may learn or see possibly where they too need to make changes. It is never my intentions to badger anyone, we all have our faults and we have all already fallen short of the perfection that God requires of us. So with that being said let's get ready to grow...

John 8:32 states that those who know the Truth will be free. I covered this more in depth in a previous blog, but since then the Lord spoke to me and told me that only those that are searching for the Truth will find it. Many people are saved by the grace of God and I am thankful for that, and I see that many people truly love the Lord and are honoring Him with their lives. I want to encourage these people to continue to lead the way with their actions. Many young Christians still tend to judge their lives by the standards of others. We know that Jesus is the standard for the Christian but God knew long ago that we are competitive in nature and that we would try to contend with others. So the Lord inspired Paul to encourage us to lead by example. With so many new believers in this day, it is important that we lead by example. Today's church is so full of tender hearts, that one wrong criticism can push them away from God. We need to be the hands and feet of God. Show love to these newbies. If we let Jesus live in us, then He will live through us too. Picking up the bible and reading what it says, then doing what it says is the only way we as a church are going to be able to truly set the right example. It is only by being a doer of the word of God!

Yes we were once sinners, but now we are children of the most high God. We will make mistakes, and we have to be mature enough to recognize this, confess and repent from them. But if you don't pick up the word and find out the way God says to live, or find out what God says is right and wrong, then we are not going to be able to set a good example to others who are learning by watching our lives. I am not at all trying to say that I have it all mastered. Sometimes I need to place more faith in God that He will deal with those who need to make changes, and not be the one to point other's flaws out. I realized this was only pushing others away from Him. So yes, I have a bunch to work on. My point I am trying to make is that if you live your life by what you feel is right or by the influences of our culture, then yes we will make more mistakes then we ought to. But if you pick up the Bible and read how God says we are to live, and adapt our lives to it, then we will become mature and be more of a profitable servant of God. Spiritual maturity only comes to those who are searching for the Truth. If people aren't searching then they aren't going to find it. When people start searching though are they going to find it by watching you?

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Why DO We Go Through Trials?

If you are struggling or have need of anything, let the Lord know what it is. Yeah He already knows what you need, but when you ask Him you are telling Him that He is your source, which really displays your faith in Him and that you truly believe that He is going to do what He has already promised. The tests and trials that we go through are not for us to show God that we are faithful, He knows our hearts already. The test and trials that we experience are opportunities for us to push or stretch our faith, and let God take control of our situations and manifest His being to us. Then when we walk away from the trial with victory, which He always gives us, we walk away confident that He truly exists and that His word is truth. And when eastern culture moves in on us we have testimony to prove that what we believe is really real.And we will stand firm on that testimony! Then we will be equipped with the knowledge and wisdom to survive the assault of the opposite forces, which is everything the opposes God's word. I know this may sound a little deep, but Christianity is being oppressed by the eastern culture and every day we lose more and more ground because of it's influences on the Christian.

Here are some examples of eastern culture:

1)Astrology- Horoscopes
2)Hinduism
3)Islam
4)Naturalism
5)Buddhism

These are the most popular world views of eastern culture. None of these support Christian doctrine, and actually they are in opposition of Christian beliefs. If you are a Christian, then it is important that you cleanse your life of these world views because they are enmity with God's world view. If you give place in your life to these views or anything that is of them, then you let that persuade what you think truth is, and that is very dangerous. It leaves room for you to question what God says is truth, and you could be like a wave of the sea, unstable in all its ways.

This is critical stuff!!! Think about it, then pray to God about it and search for His truth. Don't fall into the snare of the enemy and let your guard down and let his doubt creep in by allowing eastern culture to entertain your imagination. This is the fastest way we as Christians become desensitized. Then we start to focus more on culture instead of our faith in God! Rise up church, take a stand for our western heritage, which is the foundation of this great and wonderful nation! Christianity is the chief corner stone and our foundation. In the end heaven and earth will pass away, but God's word never will. Glory to God! Amen!

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox