2/11 :: by it you may grow up...
read 1 peter 2:1-3
tomorrow is the big day… our new baby church will be officially born. in the ancient near east, two things were done after a baby was born: they would clean the baby, and then give it to the mother to begin nursing. peter is using these two things in relation to our spiritual growth. “rid yourselves” means to literally strip away all of the afterbirth from the newborn baby. the language used in verse 1 actually reads, “since you have been stripped of all malice…” it is a done deal. now we are to move on to the second step, nursing. he says that craving pure spiritual milk is the key to growing up in our salvation. so what exactly is pure spiritual milk? according to verse 3, it is the goodness of the Lord. newborn babies have a ferocious appetite, and it only takes a drop of milk to unleash it. a mere taste of the goodness of God is enough to unleash our hunger and desire for him. perhaps you are not hungry for the Lord. not necessarily because you are full but because you have grown complacent and stagnant. in a way peter is encouraging us to return to the origins of our faith, to the beginnings of our walk with the Lord. scripture tells us it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. maybe before we birth a new church, we need to return to our roots.
† spend time thinking about your salvation experience, asking God to give you a taste of his goodness again. and then pray that we as a church maintain that craving as we launch out...
tomorrow is the big day… our new baby church will be officially born. in the ancient near east, two things were done after a baby was born: they would clean the baby, and then give it to the mother to begin nursing. peter is using these two things in relation to our spiritual growth. “rid yourselves” means to literally strip away all of the afterbirth from the newborn baby. the language used in verse 1 actually reads, “since you have been stripped of all malice…” it is a done deal. now we are to move on to the second step, nursing. he says that craving pure spiritual milk is the key to growing up in our salvation. so what exactly is pure spiritual milk? according to verse 3, it is the goodness of the Lord. newborn babies have a ferocious appetite, and it only takes a drop of milk to unleash it. a mere taste of the goodness of God is enough to unleash our hunger and desire for him. perhaps you are not hungry for the Lord. not necessarily because you are full but because you have grown complacent and stagnant. in a way peter is encouraging us to return to the origins of our faith, to the beginnings of our walk with the Lord. scripture tells us it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. maybe before we birth a new church, we need to return to our roots.
† spend time thinking about your salvation experience, asking God to give you a taste of his goodness again. and then pray that we as a church maintain that craving as we launch out...
posted by the E's at
5.1.06
2 Comments:
Father, thank You. Thank You that You are good. Create in us a ferocious hunger that can only be satisfied by You.
Lord, we step out in faith toward You. Be unleashed in our lives in such a way that we cannot help but constantly return to You for more of You. May we always point to You, may our lives glorify You, may we always join with You in Your pursuit of Your people. May we bear much fruit, as a ministry focused on You and Your Kingdom.
Father, create in us an intense desire for You - for Your glory - for Your goodness - for Your presense heavy on and in our lives, day after day as we journey with each other toward You.
Holy Spirit, mesh our hearts together in a way that makes us a true community of believers - a community of believers that truly believes that Jesus Christ has the power to change any human life.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your protection, for Your mercy, for Your grace, for Your sacrifice, for Your love and for the way You actively and constantly interceed for us. Praise You, Jesus!
Father, thank You for loving us. We ask You for Your blessing, for Your favor on this church, that Your will would be accomplished, that Your Kingdom would reign, and that Your name will be glorified and praised throughout the earth!
Father, we love You, and we ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN
By
ann, at 12.2.06
I have tasted. He is the only satisfaction we have. But how quickly we try to find others. And we try and we try....and we try. I remember the emptiness of those attempts. Even in recent attempts. And He remains the only satistfaction. I wonder what would happen if I put as much energy and heart into more of Him as I have into trying to find other things that satisfy. Merely thinking about Him more over the last 30 days has changed my life. I want my passion to only increase. I want my hunger to never be fulfilled, only satisfied to push me further toward Him. A church full of people who know what truly fills will be a church whose love and passion touch the weary hearts of those who have not yet met their Father. That is the Church. That is His desire. And He is the one who will do it. If we ask for more, He will gladly grant it. It is Him within us who evokes passion, desire, will, and steadfastness.
Grant us more precious Father. We want what only You can give.
By
megan kelly, at 12.2.06
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