Why is the progress in my Christian Life so slow in spite of listening to many sermons?

I have asked myself that question many, many times.

I am reading the book “Morning and Evening” by CH Spurgeon and on October 12, page 572, he is asking the same question and answering it. He puts the question a little bit different.

He answers,” Because they neglect their times of prayer, and do not thoughtfully meditate on God’s WORD.

1. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it;

2. they want to have the corn, but they will not go out into the fields to gather it;

3. the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it;

4. the water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it.”

— The Tertiary Centre says, “take charge of your future.”

— An ad I have before me says,” Learn about alcohol – the car fuel of the future.”

— Westpac- Making the most of life- says,” Feel more secure about your future with The Westpac KiwiSaver Scheme.”

— The picture says, ” Help give sick kids a fresh FUTURE.”

Write “FUTURE” into “SEARCH” and find out more about the FUTURE!

Today I picked up the KFC menu called, “A Menu to Satisfy your Cravings.” It starts with the “$3 snack menu” and finishes with the “kids Fun Bucket.” On the backpage is a big 11 meaning “the colonel’s eleven secret herbs & spices.”

We are no longer talking about satisfying our hunger, but satisfying our cravings.

Are we forgetting all the people who are hungering at the present time? I cannot really talk about physical hunger, because I have always had enough to eat so far as I can remember, even while fleeing from the Russians during the last big war from the East to the West.

But there is still another hunger. I know something about that hunger. The Lord Jesus Christ talks about that hunger in Matthew 4:4 “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” The Lord Jesus Christ declares in Matthew 6:35 “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never go thirsty.”

Who is going to tell the people about the Lord Jesus Christ, the BREAD OF LIFE? I am glad that I went to a Bible College where one subject was Personal Evangelism. Especially one teacher was very keen on Personal Evangelism, telling others about the Lord.

He visited us in Kaikohe. I took him to the hotel in Waitangi to enjoy a cup of coffee. I was interested in the cup of coffee, but he talked to the waitress about the Lord.

wd

ONLY AFTER THE LAST TREE HAS BEEN CUT DOWN,

ONLY AFTER THE LAST RIVER HAS BEEN POISONED,

ONLY AFTER THE LAST FISH HAS BEEN CAUGHT,

ONLY THEN WILL YOU FIND THAT MONEY CANNOT BE EATEN.

FIND OUT AT 7PM ON FRIDAY, 17TH OCTOBER AT THE LITTLE THEATRE IN KAITAIA WHERE DEIRDRE KENT WILL LEAD AN EVENING OF DISCUSSION AFTER A SHOWING OF THE HIGHLY PRAISED FILM, “MONEY AS DEBT”.

AN EVENING ORGANISED BY TRANSITION TOWN KAITAIA

www.transitiontowns.org.nz

Before my going to Thailand as a missionary in December 1966 there was some communication between the homebase leader in Germany and the field leader in Thailand concerning my coming to the “Land of the FREE”.

I still remember that one letter from the fieldleader to the homebase leader concluded. ” MORE POWER TO YOU!”

(The letter was given to me to read.)

Acts 1:8

First Corinthians 6:19

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,..”

Yes!

It has been said that somebody who has never been thisty cannot talk about thirst. He can certainly not talk from his own experience. Unfortunately, I can. I used to work in a coal mine for a number of years about eighthundred metres deep and one day I forgot my drink bottle. No more needs to be said.

Also while in Thailand in a restaurant once I heard somebody whinging about drinking (chinese tea) all the time and still being thirsty. That person was not able to quench the thirst of the body.

Bodily thirst can be terrible.

But there is also another thirst.

When I was a young Christian I read the story about Hudson Taylor in China. He told about a Chinese who had been searching for the truth all over the place and everywhere – but he could not find it. Then Hudson Taylor told him about the Lord Jesus Christ and that Chinese man found the truth, because the Lord Jesus Christ is the truth. Then the man said something I will never forget until I die,” WHY DID YOU NOT COME EARLIER?” It brings tears into my eyes, even now. Why did you not come earlier?

A man thirsty and hungry for the TRUTH.

Read John chapter four, the verses one to twentysix. – John 4:1-26 – And here is verse thirteen and fourteen of chapter four,”Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a SPRING of water welling up to eternal life'”.

It was a story about FISHING and the writer said that his dad was such a passionate angler.

That was very fortunate for the son. He landed gamefish from all over New Zealand. He has some awesome memories catching fish. Thrilling memories: Landing a huge blue fin tuna off the West Coast of the South Island, a majestic striped Marlin off Taranaki etc.

But now he is chasing some of the smallest fish around – Whitebait.

What would be the story about if the writer would say that his dad was such a passionate follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Do you have a story to share?