God wants you to receive the full portion of your spiritual inheritance–so purpose to glean from the leaders He puts in your life.
Years ago I was faced with a decision about whether or not to leave my church. As I sought God’s will, my thoughts went back to situations and circumstances I had experienced in the body of Christ through the years.
Interestingly, I began to realize the direct relationship these situations and circumstances had to my relationship with my pastor. Even though I had been extremely active in church for years, I had never before understood how relevant my relationship with my pastor was to my relationship with my heavenly Father.
Suddenly I was confronted with the realization that although I was able to say I had been in church for years–indeed, I was raised in the church–I had never before thought about whether or not I was receiving everything my heavenly Father intended for me to have as my spiritual inheritance. A lack of knowledge about His portion for me had robbed my life and hindered me from reaching my full potential in Him.
Now I’m concerned that this could happen to other believers. I’ll tell you why.
I see the onset of a mighty revival across this nation. Everywhere people are being saved and ushered into the body of Christ. These new members of Christ’s body are looking for churches where they can be nourished and fed with the Word of God.
I don’t want them to miss out on an authentic experience in God!
You see, you can have the experience of salvation and receive a new heart but still miss the experience of walking into your spiritual destiny–your spiritual inheritance–the portion that is supposed to be implanted into your heart.
After you receive a new heart, that heart must continually be fed by your heavenly Father. Receiving your spiritual inheritance is an ongoing process. You can miss out on all He has for you if you try to diminish the experience by isolating it to a one-time event. Just as you need daily nourishment to keep your physical body alive, you need to receive your daily spiritual portion from your heavenly Father to reach your full potential in Christ.
One way you do this is through developing a relationship with spiritual parents. It is vital that you know when you have met the ones God has appointed to be your spiritual parents and that you recognize they are preparing you to receive your spiritual inheritance. This will help you to guard against losing that inheritance.
THE FATHER’S PORTION When the Lord led me through the process of reviewing my past experiences, I remembered how I felt as a young teenager when my first pastor, Luke Austin Sr., passed away. I was lost, disconnected. From that point on, I began to wander spiritually.
Almost 18, I asked my mom for permission to move to Milwaukee. I was searching for more but didn’t know it.
Since my pastor was an older man, he had been like a spiritual grandfather to me–but I didn’t understand the weight of his influence on my life or what the loss of it meant in my spirit man. I didn’t recognize that the loss had created an empty place within.
I started searching, not knowing what I was searching for. On my quest I met several pastors, but it wasn’t until 1982, when I moved to Port Huron, Michigan, that the Lord connected me to my spiritual parents, Pastor William and Sister Veter Nichols.
Pastor Nichols immediately became concerned about me as a person. He observed my life and saw some issues that needed attention.
God stepped in through this godly man to make certain I would not miss out on my spiritual inheritance. The Father wanted me to receive the full portion of what He had to give me–and He wants you to receive the full portion of your spiritual inheritance, too.
His portion will change you. It will birth you into destiny. When you are receiving your spiritual portion from God, it will feed your spirit. As your spirit grows, you will come to maturity in Christ. And as Christians everywhere mature in Christ, maturity will come to the body of Christ. So we must be sure we are getting the Father’s portion.
