MOMENTS OF LISTENING
Quote for the Day – “As spiritual fathers we are called to be expressive of Him. We are not merely instruments in His hand – working for Him but we are allowing Him to live and manifest Himself through us. As we continue in His viewpoint we shall appreciate the unfolding of full stature.” -- DeVern Fromke, Unto Full Stature, p.15
Reading the Moment – Mr. Fromke writes that one of the marks of Christian maturity is that we come into the stage of spiritual fatherhood in which we move beyond wanting to do things for God and desire to truly work with Him in manifesting Him to our world. This is moving beyond “carnalism” but not going into “perfectionism” with its critical superiority attitude.
Reflecting on the Moment
Is there a passage of Scripture that comes to mind that sheds light on this moment?
Ephesians 1:11f – “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Hebrews 12: 10 – “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.”
John 1:12 – “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
My Reflections --
It strikes me that becoming a “spiritual father” or simply becoming a mature Christian makes me, at least, more intensely aware of the desire to do more than good works for God. That awareness causes me to think seriously about making manifest the presence of Jesus in the kind and style of life that I live before a world that is watching me, whether or not they realize or I realize that they are doing so. My self-centered- ness cannot accomplish that; I must become God-centered for anyone else to see Jesus in me. God- centeredness can only happen when my mind is renewed so that I am attending to the presence of the Holy Spirit within me. In this new year of 2012, may as many of us as are like-minded with me join in my quest to be fully alive in and to the Spirit so that “the beauty of Jesus” may be seen in us and through us to the world He gave Himself to bring into His glory.
Reaching up prayerfully
“Lord Jesus, please fill me to overflowing with Your own Holy Spirit as You promised in John 14-16. I am giving You the right and openness to do in me and with me whatever will bring that deep relationship about. I am an unworthy vessel; but You have chosen me as a conduit of the “Treasure,” and I respect Your choices. May the people of God join me in a holy Quest to make manifest Your presence in Greeley
End Quote
1 John 2:13 – “I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.”
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