SPIRITUAL PHOTOSYNTHESIS

The growth of a plant or tree is comparable to our spiritual growth in Christ. When a  seed is deposited in soil, (whether fertile or infertile), and receives water, the seed’s outer shell softens and breaks open and sprouts. Immediately, the sprout’s aim is to grow towards the sun. When it finds the light, photosynthesis occurs. The prefix photo- means “light” or “relating to light”. It comes from the Greek word phōs, which also means “light.” [Jn 8:12] Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Word of God is seed. [Lk 8:11] When seed that was buried in our depths is water by the Holy Spirit, our heart is softened, the exterior cracks and we break open to receive salvation through repentance. As we follow the process of growth in Jesus Christ, by the leading of the Holy Ghost, we go through these same changes, aka, synthesis. Synthesis is simply an execution (CAUSE) of reactions (EFFECT) resulting in a change. One of Isaac Newton’s laws of motion is that “for every action, there is a reaction.” Synthesis is a combination of parts or elements working together to form a whole. In chemistry, it is the forming or building of a more complex substance. In psychology, it’s the integration of traits, attitudes, and impulses to create a total personality. We can see that no matter the context, the gist is the same. It involves change. 

How has God worked in your life in this way to change you?

Photosynthesis literally means “Light Change.” The seed was in darkness under the weight of the earth. At its breaking point, its purpose was realized: to live. So too, the meaning of the life we have been given is to truly LIVE; not for ourselves, but to live a life of purpose, in a relationship with God our Father, our Creator, through Jesus. As Christians, The Light, Jesus Christ, brought change to us.  [Lk 4:14-19] And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: (“circuit”/”ring”) and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias (Isaiah). And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

When we come in true contact with the righteousness of the Son of God, we must be changed. The more light there is, the faster photosynthesis occurs. Study in the word of God is meant to be A MAP:

A MAP : “As Much As Possible”

GROW TOWARDS THE SON

The word of God is the map and guidebook to having an every day active relationship with God. It is our GPS : “God’s Provided Standards.” The Word of God is Jesus. [Rev 19:13] [Jn 1:1-5] We so often use outward online guides to provide insight in our daily lives, i.e. if a restaurant is good, what’s a good hotel; is this AirBnB nice; who has experienced this and what did they think of it; how do I get past such and such mission on a video game– We don’t think twice about receiving outward advice and help in daily life, often from total strangers!

Why do we struggle to ask for inward help from the One who loves us most?

It ought to be first nature, (not second nature!) to us to interact with the SON all day, every day. A “three year old” Christian may be more mature in Christ and in the use of the sword, the Word of God, than someone who has been saved for forty years! Why? Because the young Christian hungers and thirsts after righteousness and someone who has been saved for forty years MAY have lost their first love feeling. The young Christian is actively seeking the SON for growth and change. The faster photosynthesis occurs, the more the plant grows. Likewise in spiritual photosynthesis, the more light (JESUS) in our life, the faster our growth in God. [Rom 12:2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Photosynthesis occurs more quickly if there is more carbon dioxide in the air. Translation: When more things are going on in your atmosphere that test you, stand strong in the SON, the word of God and in the power of His might; YOU will grow faster because we know that Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path [Ps 119:58]. If we look back at Isaiah 61 that Jesus read on the sabbath from, we get more insight. [Is 61:1-3] The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.

When we receive salvation in Christ Jesus:

In Leviticus 10, the sons of Aaron (“lightbringer”), Nadab (“generous”) and Abihu (“my Father is He”), burned strange fire (the creation of ashes) unto the Lord. Fire went out from the Lord and killed them for this. Understand the beauty so generously given to us for the ashes of what we have destroyed and for the ashes of unholy spiritual incense we burned before the Lord in our idolatry– whether self worship, falsehoods, witchcraft (new ageism), or simply in rebellion which is as the sin of witchcraft [1 Sam 15:23].

We sat in darkness before we asked for forgiveness and to be covered by the saving blood of Jesus Christ. At the moment we did, [Ps 18:28] came to fruition in us: “For You will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.” We were then partakers of the promise of the inheritance of the kingdom of God found in [Isaiah 60:1-3, 19-21] Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. … 19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. 21 Thy people also [shall be] all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.

Spiritual Photosynthesis requires effort on our part. 

In [Leviticus  10:3], Moses says to Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh (near) Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.

[James 4:8] Draw near to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

In all you do, grow towards The SON.

–CC

The Winds of Change

Living in Florida, we know a few things about wind. There’s the coastal breeze, an ever present fixture along the beachlines. If you live near a lake like we do, there’s the pleasant intermittent gentle lake winds, providing relief from a scorching hot day. Then there are the winds that can bring violence; the sudden downdrafts, drawing energy from high up in the storm clouds tens of thousands of feet, swiftly bringing a welcomed coolness before a sudden deluge inducing  afternoon thunderstorm. And of course… the infamous hurricane force winds. What was welcomed in its mildest form is suddenly unwelcomed and even despised. The furious winds of a storm bring stinging rains, hail, lighting and thunder, and often destruction. 

Before I served the Lord, I had a flower garden in our backyard. As so many other unsaved do, I was constantly seeking after peace. There is only One who can give perfect peace so without Jesus, it is an endless and pointless endeavor. In search of the world’s lie of “zen,” I had purchased a cheap plastic buddha statue and placed it among the flowers. Within a month or two, a big summer storm blew through and wrecked the garden. I mean it was torn up. I had to cut some things down and some had to be replaced. It was a big project. The next year, the same thing happened. And the next year. Three straight years my garden was ripped apart and each time was worse than the time before. The following year, I gave my heart to the Lord. I saw gardening differently then, having a new appreciation not just for what God has created, but also understanding how He gives tender care to each of us, as I do a plant. The Lord spoke clearly to me to get rid of the buddha– and not just to get rid of it, but to destroy it. It was made of resin and I threw it down on the pavement as hard as I could. I picked it up and did it again. Nothing but pieces were left, and as I gathered them for their rightful home in the trash, the Lord spoke to me again, and said, “Now you know why the garden was destroyed.” I had placed an idol among what God had not only created, but with what He had blessed me with. The winds of change were blowing upon my life years before I realized that His desire was towards me and that soon, I would be His beloved.

How has God revealed to you your wrong doing in a situation?

Know that the spiritual winds of change come from the Lord. So often as Christians we want to give Satan the blame (or should I say the credit) for a challenging season in our life. Just as with the natural cycles, the spiritual seasons are seasons of: newness and growth, fruitfulness, decay, and barrenness. All of these seasons come with their own unique winds– Cold and harsh, gusty and sudden, breezy and easy, or dry and dusty. All of them are as important to your spiritual growth as the last, because when you’re in them, you’re learning. We learn about the faithfulness of God in these seasons. We learn about our shortcomings and how fallible we are. We learn that in Him, we are stronger than we are on our own. We learn that without Him, we can do nothing. There is no one who wants to see you grow in Christ more than the Father. If you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk ye in Him: 7 Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. [Col 2:6-10] If you are in Him, then you are rooted and grounded in love– you have nothing to fear. [Ps 145:20] The LORD preserveth all them that love Him: but all the wicked will He destroy. [Eph 3:16-19] That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.

How can we know if we are rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ?

We’ve got to welcome changes from the Lord. In the book of Acts, the Holy Ghost came like the sound of a rushing, mighty wind. It wasn’t a gentle evening breeze like Adam walked in the coolness of the garden of Eden. The Spirit of God came with an intense purpose to forever change those who were there. You may not like the speed of the wind God has chosen to blow in your life, but it is never without purpose and it is always for your good. There’s nothing wrong with a sweet Spirit of God in a place, but sometimes God desires direct and intense modification. A new Christian or even a weak one, a spiritual sapling, doesn’t stand a chance in challenging straight line winds unless he/she is rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ. These winds come to test you– to cause you to dig deeper– Pray, read the Word and seek Him, that you will grow stronger in Him. If you don’t call out to Him, then you’re saying you don’t need Him. And if you’re saying you don’t need Him, then you need Him more than you know! [Is 45:6-8] That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that [there is] none beside Me. I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things]. 8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

Two things happen after every strong storm: God gives a gorgeous sunset, filled with many different colors, seamlessly blending together. The other thing we see after a strong storm is people out in their yards doing cleanup. Part of this process may involve standing a young tree back up that’s blown over. It must be set upright, and it must be tied down to stakes placed in the ground around it. This will steady it to continue to grow straight until the roots are lengthened and more deeply established, bringing strength and stability. God has no problem picking you up when you’ve fallen; but unlike trees, we’ve got to use our voice to call out to Him for help. We’ve got to ask Him to come and set us right. The Lord is more than ready to give us the strength and stability we need that only comes from Him– the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are ready to keep us grounded to ensure we grow properly. [Ecc 4:12] And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ask yourself, am I leaning in the wind? Do I need to be tied down and set straight before the Lord?