What the Bible says about Deterrents to Spiritual Growth
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Deuteronomy 16:13-15 Just about every year, we hear messages reminding us that the Feast of Tabernacles is not a vacation, and we largely agree with that. It has aspects of a vacation—we are away from home, mostly free from work or school responsibilities, with extra money in our pockets, living at a hotel, eating out, and doing activities we do not normally do—yet its purpose is far more serious and spiritual. But do we really believe and display our conviction by doing what we must to share this holy time with the Father, the Son, and one another in the way and in the place God has determined for us to serve Him and our brethren? Granted, various factors—such as age, health, and unforeseen, insurmountable difficulties—will make it difficult or impossible for us to attend the Feast in the place God has put His name. However, will we let the physical circumstances of our lives determine this without trying to seek God's will diligently so that we do not fail in our duty to appear before Him? Just as much as the Sabbath is not optional holy time, neither are God's holy days. Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-43 clearly states God's will that we keep the Feast of Tabernacles, as does Deuteronomy 16:13-15. God blesses those following His financial planning system with such an unusual abundance of physical wealth at this time of year that even the most faithful can fall victim to the deceitful trap of a self-deceptive heart. Such a heart could very well equate the joy of a true feast to the Lord with the mere physical pleasure of a vacation. This brings God's solemn and commanded festivals down to the level of an elective, only to be kept if everything in our lives is just right! Consider this: If we fail to keep His holy days and rejoice in the way He intends, for His honor and glory, we may not only be letting God down and disappointing Him, but we may also be letting one another down. Who will fill our places in the choir? Who will do our ushering jobs? The message intended to help us grow we will not hear. The widows, whom God planned for us to serve, will not receive the level of service we could have given them. And what about those whom God intended to train in righteousness by serving us in our difficult circumstances? They will never have the opportunity! What about what God says in Malachi 3:16-17? Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name. "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." So we must ask ourselves, what does it say about us if those God-fearers fellowshipping together at God's feast did not include us? I have seen many dear brethren who have worked so hard to be faithful and honor God. One lady, in pain because of cancer, was transported to the Feast lying in the back of a van. She died two months later, but she was determined to attend as God commanded. God lifted up another dedicated member, also dying, so that, in faith, he could be where God wanted him. One woman traveled halfway around the world, alone, to honor God and be where she knew God wanted her to be. To these people, the Feast of Tabernacles was not merely an elective time for physical rejoicing. It is the commanded and holy assembly of God's people, who have been called together for His honor and glory in the continuing process of preparing His jewels for the Kingdom of God! Some of God's people cannot be there because of dire or unforeseen circumstances. That is, sadly, a fact of life in an anti-God world. But we must all examine ourselves and ensure our deceptive hearts have not demoted God's solemn and holy time to a mere elective. When God calls a holy convocation of His people, we should do our utmost to be there! At this time of year, it should never be far from our minds that the Feast of Tabernacles—and indeed, all of God's feast days—are holy times, set apart by Him to be observed as He commands, to help us to become holy as He is holy (I Peter 1:16). Mark Schindler The Feast: Vacation or Holy Time? Related Topics: Becoming Holy | Deterrents to Spiritual Growth | Holy Time | Rejoicing | Second Tithe | Seeking God's Will | Spiritual Growth

Psalm 23:2 Only when we are still can we truly concentrate on knowing God. When our lives are upside-down, confusion and chaos reign, events and ideas rush by, and our attitudes and expectations are in flux. Under these conditions, the odds are against real spiritual growth. Often, we are just barely hanging on spiritually because circumstances have so distracted us and perhaps have even taken us down a side path that leads away from God. We may be trying to solve the problem—which is fine and right—but our minds are not straying very far from our own concerns. Like Job, we are failing to see the bigger picture of what God is doing. In such times, we need to find that still place—a peaceful, quiet environment—where we can meditate on what God has done and is doing, and resolve to let Him work. Only in a setting of peace and calm do we have the opportunity to take stock and work on improving ourselves and our relationship with God. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Beating the Rat Race (Part Six) Related Topics: Building a Relationship with God | Chaos | Concentrating on Knowing God | Confusion | Deterrents to Spiritual Growth | Distracted by the World | Distracting Conditions | Distraction | Distractions of Life | Improving Morality | Inner Peace

Matthew 13:22 The cares of this world can make the growing, the producing of spiritual fruit, almost impossible. So, what will we lack if we fail to follow Jesus' advice? Love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faithfulness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), and if we attempt to straddle the fence, we will be unfruitful. John W. Ritenbaugh The Christian and the World (Part Eight) Related Topics: Bearing Fruit | Cares of the World | Christian and the World | Deterrents to Spiritual Growth | Fruit, Producing | Fruits of God's Holy Spirit | Producing Spiritual Fruit | Serving Two Masters | Spiritual Fruit | Straddling the Fence

Romans 1:16-20 It is difficult for an intelligent person to misunderstand what God says through the apostle. Because of the vile practices that mankind displays before Him, He is not obligated to save anybody! However, He will offer salvation to some as He chooses because He is motivated from within Himself to accomplish His purposes. God's existence is a truth that some dogmatically refuse to believe. Another, larger population of men and women accept that He may exist, but their acceptance of His existence does not motivate them to live by what He says. Their further commitment to Him is stalled because they refuse to accept and believe His guidance found in the Bible. A much smaller group believes enough to study His Word and start down the path toward accepting and doing what He says. They may even believe strongly enough to commit to baptism, but for whatever reason, they lose interest, stop growing, and depart from Him and His way. Finally, an exceedingly smaller group believes with all their heart. They are consistently committed to Him, and His cause becomes their cause in life. John W. Ritenbaugh Why Was Hebrews Written? (Part Eleven): God Is Not Silent Related Topics: Commitment to God | Denying God's Existence | Deterrents to Spiritual Growth | Evidence of God's Existence | Existence, Evidence of God's | Growth, Spiritual | Motivation for Our Submission to God | Motivation for Overcoming | Motivation for Repentance | Why Hebrews Was Written

 

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