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One Who Longs for Spiritual Things
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July 05, 2009 |
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 "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware… Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-6).
When you long for spiritual things, you can throw off and get rid of the worldly things. You can receive the strength and the power of God and bear the fruits God wants.
How much do you long for spiritual things? God who is spirit wants His children to long for spiritual things.
It is because only when you long for the spiritual things, can you quickly accomplish the heart of the spirit and go into a better heavenly dwelling place.
1. What Are the Spiritual Things?
'Spiritual things' are the things which are the opposite of what is known as 'flesh'. We live in the 3rd dimension but there is a 4th dimension world we don't understand and cannot see. In such a spiritual realm it is a never changing world and moves under the control of God. Especially the spiritual realm that belongs to the light, namely everything that exists in the Kingdom of Heaven is spiritual.
When you accept Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Spirit as a gift, your dead soul is revived and you become a spiritual person. Your name is written in the book of life and you receive your citizenship in Heaven. For this reason you should know about the spiritual realm. If you go to church, but you don't long for the spiritual things even though you say you believe in God, you can't communicate with God. When you hear about the spiritual realm you don't believe, but doubt. You doubt because you can't receive answers to your prayer and you don't experience the works of God. This is why Jesus and His disciples were persecuted in the Bible.
Then, what does it mean 'to long for spiritual things'?
Forever, there is nothing in Heaven that perishes and the lights will never dim. There is also no evil in Heaven, but it is full of only goodness. There is no darkness, but only light. There is no sorrow, pain, or hardship. There is only joy, happiness, and peace. Therefore, to long for spiritual things is to long for this Kingdom of Heaven. It is to hope that your heart will become like the Kingdom of Heaven itself.
We are living in a physical world. How can we long not for the flesh but for the kingdom of Heaven and spiritual things? It is possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. John 14:17 says, "that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." It is because the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of truth is in our hearts. Those who are full of the Holy Spirit are those who are longing for spiritual things.
2. When You Become One Who Longs for Spiritual Things
First of all, those who long for spiritual things can easily forsake the meaningless things of the world. What if a person who likes pears eats a spoon of honey and then eats the pear? Because the honey he tasted first is so sweet, you may feel that the pear tastes like a radish.
Likewise, those who tasted the spiritual things cannot sense any taste or fun that comes from the things of this world. That is why they can easily forsake worldly things and let go of them.
The apostle Paul considered all the worldly things rubbish after he tasted the spiritual things.
The apostle Paul forsook the world completely just by the one-time experience of meeting the Lord. He was thankful for the grace of the Lord who forgave him while he was persecuting the Lord, and so Paul continually denied his self.
The more he changed into spirit this way, the deeper he came to experience the spiritual realm. He came to realize deeply the heart of God by the clear inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He also had the experience of visiting the heavenly kingdom in spirit. He was sometimes facing persecutions and hardships, but his heart was always in the heavenly kingdom.
It is in these ways that the spiritual things cannot be compared with anything of this world. Through God's grace you can experience peace, joy, and thanksgiving that you cannot gain from anything or any place else in this world. So, you can easily cast away all the meaningless things of the world and have the good heart God desires of us.
Secondly, those who long for spiritual things will receive strength. Furthermore, they can receive the power of God. When they go into spirit because of longing for spiritual things, they can receive spiritual strength from above. If they go into whole spirit after accomplishing complete sanctification, they can receive the power of God.
From the first moment I met God, I just wanted to live by the will of God because I was so thankful for His grace in giving me eternal life before death. So, I attended many revival meetings, read the Bible with a great deal of eagerness and I prayed whenever I had time.
I gradually realized the will of God more and more and put it into practice because I longed for God's grace. If I couldn't cast off something right away, I fasted for 3 days or even 7 days to cast it off. As I longed for the spirit earnestly and lived by the word of God I readily received the answers to prayers (1 John 3:22). Then, after going through the 3 years of refinement I went into spirit. Then even greater power of God was bestowed upon me. As I went into the whole spirit, the power and authority of God could be manifested.
If anyone longs for spirit and cultivates the spiritual heart this way, power will descend on him from above. He will also receive the authority to drive away the power of darkness. If one achieves the whole spirit and prays fervently, he can also receive both the power and authority together.
Thirdly, those who long for spiritual things will bear the fruit that God desires of them. Whether they do the work of God or do the work of the world, they can bear the fruit that God desires of them and give Him glory.
It is because those who long for spirit and whose souls are prosperous can work by hearing the voice and receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It's not they who do the work, but they work with the wisdom given by God. Therefore, they can bear the fruits that are more than what they can achieve with human power and wisdom.
Daniel and Joseph were captured by a Gentile country they were in the position of prisoners and slaves. But no matter what the situation, they kept the law of God and lived with spiritual hearts. So, they had the wisdom and understanding from above. They had all the qualities to be capable of handling the job as the prime minister of the country so that they were loved and acknowledged by both the kings and the people. They understood the heart of God and bore the fruit that God desired of them.
The more you long for spiritual things and go into spirit, the more deeply you will realize the heart of God who is spirit. If you obey the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit you will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and receive His guidance more clearly. You will be prosperous in all things. You can be so outstanding that even the worldly people will recognize you.
I pray in the name of the Lord that you will bear the good fruit that God desires of you in your life and give Him all the glory in all respects of your life by becoming those who long for spiritual things.
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