The Dorment Periods of Life

Scripture Reading: Romans 6:11-13

January through April are usually the coldest months of the year. The air is biting. For some places the snow comes regularly, and our part of the world becomes dormant, even dead. "Old Man Winter" sets up his frosty reign. However, the spring comes upon the Earth and that which lay silent is now springing to life. What a picture of the Death and Resurrection! The Earth begins to die off in its vegetation in late October as the leaves give one last brilliant show. Then those leaves fall lifeless having no nutrients. The leaves wither and turn grey as is the color of death.
But for the trees and annual plants, this "death" is more of a dormant period, or a time where growth sleeps and does not engage itself. Out our window, the ground is cold and hard. Yet I know that beneath the ground there are a row of Gladiola bulbs and such that will at the appointed time shoot out of the ground again--just like the Resurrection!

Okay, I used the illustration of the Resurrection twice now, but its because I would like to talk to you about not bodily resurrection, but a resurrection of the spiritual appetite from a period of inactivity or disinterest. Notice that dormancy does not mean a period of rest, but a protracted period of inactivity or lifelessness that comes from an indulgence in sin or a veering away from God in some fashion.

Dormancy occurs in the believer's life when he or she has found a loss of interest in growing. This may result from unconfessed sin, an offense from another believer, depression, grief, or a lack of being spiritually fed. Many times the latter of the reasons is the culprit. It is important to note that not being spiritually fed, that is to say not being challenged or growing in the faith, is not always the fault of the church. Many people will leave a church complaining they are not growing because of the quality of preaching and other ministries lacking. Of course this has a lot to do with it, but, if you are not growing in the Lord it is a personal choice.

Too many people today are on a spiritual starvation diet. They get all the spiritual food from usually one, one hour church service a week. Now as sad as this is, the blame does not rest here. We never would just eat one meal a week, we constantly feed our bodies, yet during the week between church services, the Bible is never opened. We choose our own rate of growth. Because we for some reason do not feel Christ important enough to spend time with, we starve ourselves spiritually and wonder why we aren't any more encouraged, more faithful, more knowledgeable, more caring, and more dedicated.

Any believer who has been saved for even five years can tell you about a period where the fire of the spiritual life or the flame of faith has now gone down to embers. The same principle applies to a wood fire. Leave a fire burning without putting more wood on it, and the fire will go down and even out. The question is what happens to us in this time, what are the consequences, and how do we find new life and escape the cold gray clutches of dormancy?

First, here are the the problems of being dormant. The chief problem is discouragement. When a person is most discouraged it is due to being overly tired and not eating. When we don't exercise the privilege of studying God's Word, or at least reading it, we lose layers of faith and being to question God and begin to be vulnerable to worldly hopeless advice. As our Sprite becomes more frail then the eye of Satan gets more sinister in its stare. Satan begins to move toward us like a wolf toward weak prey. Satan knows he is not successful when the armor of God is wrapped tightly around us, but when we choose to forget Godly instruction that armor falls off. Then out of nowhere comes the Accuser shooting his arrows of doubt, fear, discouragement, and bitterness. Being too spiritually weak from lack of proper nutrition we cannot stand up and fight or even run. We wallow in the net of pity and fear. Like a body that is susceptible to disease we languish in the effects of the evil one. When certain matters like fear come upon us we get all uptight and worry. By now trusting God has become a distant memory. We are hindered in our witness. We present no reason why unbelievers should desire Christ in their life. Then we see God as imperfect, powerless, or worse not caring for our lives. When we don't physically eat we become irritable, irrational and unstable. Such descriptions are the same in our spirit.

Secondly, the resulting consequences of being dormant. The question is, "Does it seem possible for a person who is spiritually dormant to go through life this way and still go to Heaven?" Salvation is a personal seal at God's expense and strength to preserve us, it does not depend on us. However, Jesus said that people will know you're a disciple if you show forth fruit, or, actions identifying a change in your life. All true Christan's have fruit, but many times that fruit goes unharvested and rots. The chief consequence of being spiritually dormant is Spiritual Rot. Rot is the decay that comes from no attention paid to the upkeep of something. Spiritual Rot starts to turn a believer's heart away from God, questioning everything that He does and says in His Word. The believer gets cynical and irritable, unwilling to associate with other Christians. It can go so far as beginning to mock other Christians in their worship and practice.

Lastly, the escape of dormancy. Just like a vegetable left on a vine will putrify, so will a life that is not maintained by prayer, serious Bible study, and the fellowship of fellow believers. But before this can ever take place, there needs to be a movement of the heart in repentance towards God. Without the heart involved in the matter, all the rest of the acts and motions are dead. Many times God spoke of Israel in the Old Testament lamenting how they would go through all the religious motions yet the heart was somewhere else. Spiritual life is not mechanical or automated. It must be focused intently on God and His restoration. When this is achieved we must ask God to forgive us of being dormant and inactive when He called us to be the opposite. Then we must ask Him for a renewed desire to follow after Him. Then we need discipline to get back into a good routine of prayer and Bible study. Note that routine does not necessarily mean thoughtless mechanical process. Discipline is key here as in dormancy everything has lapsed. Notice too that results take time. However, building up a foundation of Spiritual activity gets stronger and stronger as the process goes on.

Do you find yourself in a period of dormancy? Does the quality of your Spiritual life seem on the decline or in decay? One of the greatest dangers is the denial of a decaying existence. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5, a man should examine himself to see if he or she is truly in the faith. May today be a turning point in this aspect of your life.

Heavenly Father, today we acknowledge that we have been, are, or feel a propensity in becoming spiritually dormant. Lord please forgive us for our turn to selfishness and enliven us to live as You have commanded. Help us to desire Your Word and the practice of it in our daily lives and in the lives of others may it be shown from us to them. Lord we are a failing people. Help us not to go into a spiritual coma. Encourage our hearts this day O Lord and renew a right spirit within us. We thank You for loving us still. In Your Name, Amen.

How About Your Heart

Many people will make impressions on you early on in life. One such person was Brother Carl Johnson, an evangelist from the Beckley WV area. As a child, I perceived him to be quite old as he had white hair and reminded you of an old time preacher (which I suppose he was). He stayed at our house during some of his meetings and he always carried a guitar with him. Carl is now with the Father, but we have his voice on an old cassette tape. One song I remember seeing and hearing him sing at our church was, "How About Your Heart." One verse and a chorus I offer for your reflection says this,

"Friend how would you feel if your heart were made with a window on each side?  So that all would know, not for outward show, but does Christ REALLY abide?  People often see you as you are outside, Jesus really knows you,  for He sees inside. How about your heart, is it right with God? That's the thing that counts today."

That is a pointed question, pointed at all human hearts, that no one will one day avoid an answer. A preacher once said, "God rules all things but one, and that is the human heart." It took me a while to see the point, and now I agree. Not that God cannot sovereignly rule the heart, but He let's you and me make a choice to follow or flee, to serve or to turn away, to confess Him or deny Him. In essence, we hold the condition of our heart in our own hand as the photo shows.

Physical Heart Disease is so rampant in the United States. The reason for this is largely brought upon ourselves as our eating is out of control or we do not get enough exercise. We have made a choice to damage ourselves. Without God's Son Jesus Christ in your spiritual life (your Heart) you're doing the same damage only the Eternal consequences are ultimately beyond repair and even beyond the imagination.

For a believer, sometimes we begin to desire to rule our own hearts with our own self advancements. It is important to note we cannot become eternally condemned, but we can become Earthly miserable. When we draw ourselves away from prayer, Bible reading and study, fellowship with the Saints, ministering to needs of others, our hearts get out of shape and even hardened.

Is it possible for a believer's heart to be hardened towards God? The simple and sad answer is Yes. When we sin and habitually desire to turn from what God prescribes we lose ground in ourselves. It's like cutting off the food supply we enjoy day after day. It is said that man can go without food for weeks, but without water for a couple of days before dying. Why do we desire to stray and inevitably starve ourselves from His presence? The longer we stay away, the harder and more selfish our hearts become.

What are some signs of a hardened heart?

• A lack of daily prayer



• Going long periods without personal Bible reading



• Having no song of praise on your lips



• Disgust for the preacher and the preaching



• Lack of church attendance



• Grumbling against God for whatever situation or reason

All of us have some form of the above in us now, its our sin nature at work, but we do not have to let it be dominate. Do you find yourself struggling in one of these areas? Has your love for God and His Word flickered? Such a sign is dangerous if it goes unchecked. The end result is a miserable hopeless life experience that has little to offer or receive.

It is good for us to examine ourselves in the Faith. Paul encourages us to do so in 2 Corinthians 13:5. We don't like to do that, lest we find something that doesn't belong in our lives. Christ wants nothing more than for our hearts to be like His. The Great news is, to be reconciled to God is simply a matter of prayer in genuine confession and repentance.

In this world our physical heart can be bypassed to be healed. Fortunately our God can take what is broken and restore it without bypassing any of His love, truth or holiness.

If you find your heart away from Him consider praying with me,

Lord Jesus, my heart is far from you and it is entirely my fault. I claim 1 John 1:9 and desire you to rekindle my desire for you to be Master of my life. Please forgive me from straying and having it my own way. Be my way and source of guidance from this day on. Amen.

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Photo by Jon Browning

The Effects of TIME, part 2

Last time we were reading together I used an illustration of an old photograph and some other things to illustrate that the passage of time in this world will result in crippling effects, but we are to take hope in Christ and the fact that He doesn't change and neither should our desire to serve Him. This time to illustrate the same concept in the title, I want to use a flower, particularly a Gladiola. A few years ago, at a bargain sale, I bought a bag of Gladiola flower bulbs. I am drawn to flower bulbs because they come back generally with no need to replant every year. I am also amazed as I watch the growing process. This growing process is another example of the effects of time.

The believer's life is a growing process. The effects of time is evident here. It cannot be done overnight. It will not be done perfectly every day. It will not be done if proper nourishment is not present to sustain it. A Gladiola, as mentioned, starts as a bulb. The bulb will not grow if any of four elements are not present. They are: 5-6 inches of good nitrated soil, ample water base and moisture, plenty of constant sunlight (the more direct the better) and time (usually 4-6 weeks to germination). Once that bulb is planted into the ground and the dirt is filled in and the first watering over, there is always the wonder in the mind of a first time "gardener" if this thing is really going to take off and sprout. You wait and wait and wait.....keep waiting and then a small finger point breaks the ground. From there, with proper nourishment the plant steadily grows to 5 feet. Sometimes it takes a while for a Christian to "break the soil" and really begin to show growth. At the inception of the new birth, there are a host of Satan's devices plotted against the new believer. Weeds and underground matters of growth can serve to stifle the new plant. Satan uses discouragement and confusion with sometimes religious tones to retard the new believer's growth. Satan knows how vital the new believer will be and that he or she is most vulnerable when they are this weak. However, it is during this time that good formative instruction and foundation in God also is formed. In the early years of a new believer, no matter the physical age, the right truths taught the right way will have maximum impact on the amount of his or her endurance and faith will be later in life. Time will be the classroom of this growth.

The effects of time in the believer's life will seen in the fruit he or she bears. Now of course the Gladiola bears no edible fruit like a peach tree or so forth, but the flower blossom is its fruit. The whole intention of the flowering plant is to present its blossoms. But before it can do so the stem has to reach a certain height. As the height of the stem grows you will notice the bulge inside one of its normally paper thin branches. At the right time, the plant opens up and the beauty of its inward treasure spring forth. Here is where we depart somewhat in our comparison for it is true that it takes time to bear fruit, but in the believer's life we can bear fruit in just a few short hours of being saved. The main point is that there is fruit to bear. Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 that disciples are known to be such by the evidence of the works (fruit) they do for the Lord. This fruit is not the reason of salvation but is the proof of salvation. A plant grows not because of its flowers but for its flowers. We serve Jesus Christ in order to produce good works that is evidence of Him inside each of us.

One last effect of time is that sometimes a Gladiola stalk can grow so tall it becomes top heavy and in need of support. In the believer's life we can grow so tall for so long we can get a bit overconfident. We have read the Scriptures for years, we have taught many classes, we have served in many ways and that can sometimes tend to make us overconfident and full of pride. When that happens we fall over to the ground. We are not cut off but sorely bent over. When this happens to a Gladiola stalk we can take a stick or a dowel and fasten the weak stalk to it to help hold it up. Sometimes its not time that has caused us to fall over but rain. Rain can beat down such a tender plant and a storm in life can serve to beat us down in despair. Storms can come in various forms, but most often they come in Satanic attacks or attacks we have brought on ourselves by our making.. Of course the only strong support we have is God's Word, but we as brothers and sisters in Christ can be the lashings that hold on or reach out to help secure one who is failing. The Apostle Paul says in Galatians 6:1, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."

How is time effecting you? Are you growing as a believer? Are you desiring and or producing fruit? Just like growing a Gladiola, we hope that what we put in the ground will become a tall plant with lots of blossoms. Christ desires exactly that in each of us. He desires that the longer you serve Him the more fruitful you will be. Time well spent in His Word and in His Work can produce a bountiful harvest.

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Photo courtesy of Jon Browning