Many of our chapters around the world are developing, from Turkish to right here in the United States. We are ever so thankful to God for these developments as we continue to try to spread his Gospel one person at a time. Through these physical manifestations of growth, our fellowship decided to turn inwards to talk more about spiritual growth. There are many things to discuss, but due to the previous sacrament, Pentecost, we will discuss how to grow spiritually.
What is spiritual growth? It is being matured in the word of God. This maturity is accompanied by living your life in accordance with the words of God. John 14:16 states, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—”. Jesus was approaching his death on the cross and this was his promise of rebirth to the disciples. He would send an Advocate to help them. Who is this Advocate? It is the Holy Spirit. This where we get the strength to complete these acts; it’s through the Holy Spirit, which reminds us of God’s love.
As with any kind of growth, there are many stages of ups, downs, and stability. Then, it starts over again. Spiritual growth is no exception. Therefore, we must not give up hope, but trust in the fact that God is with us every step of the way.
The Apostle Peter denied Jesus three times out of fear, but after this crisis of his faith, he turned and began to testify Jesus as the Christ. In Acts 4:13 it states, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” It is not through our power but through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We hope that you continue to fight to develop a deeper relationship with God. We know how exhausting it is, but we want to encourage you to continue seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is a gift that has no limit. God bless!