Spiritual Growth-Eph.4:11-16.                   Continuation
Why do we not grow spiritually?
If we fail to grow physically the problem lies with some genetic fault in us. If we do not grow spiritually the fault lies in our unwillingness or refusal to grow.
For natural growth two things are needed: Food and Exercise.
To grow spiritually two things are vital, Food for our souls- the Word of God, and spiritual Exercise-Prayer. However, for these two vital things to work two Agents are necessary: The Holy Spirit and a suitable Environment.
What is the food we need for the nourishment for our souls? Job 23:12 gives us a good understanding of this need. Just as food is vital for our bodies Job finds the Word of God more necessary for his life. To have such an experience we need to develop a healthy hunger for it. The Lord Jesus said, 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst.....'.
Like a body that is undernourished and will die if it is not fed, so a soul that is not fed with the Word of God will die. The Apostle Peter, in 1 Pet.2:1-2, tells us to develop a real desire for the pure Word of Life so that we may grow in the Faith. He gives us here a picture of a new-born baby that craves for the milk of the mother. In Ps.119:11, we note a similar attitude for the Word of God. The Psalmist treasures the Word so much that he keeps it in the center of his being. Unless we also show a similar attitude we shall find that our spiritual lives will always remain impoverished and powerless.
The second necessity for spiritual growth is Prayer. Like a baby that cries and calls for the attention of the mother, so prayer should be as natural to the believer. A person who is born of the Spirit and the Word of God should have a natural desire to pray to the Heavenly Father.
Prayer is a means by which we maintain a living relationship with our God and the means by which we communicate with Him. It is the time I talk to Him and He talks to me and it is the time I share His secrets.
No Christian life can exist and function without real prayer. There is so much in the Bible about prayer which shows us how important a role it plays in the life of the believer. The Lord Jesus was the Master of praying and set us a pattern to follow. Though He was the busiest man of His day yet He made time and found it necessary to devote time to prayer-Luke 6:12, the vital communion with His Heavenly Father. If the sinless Son of God found it so necessary to maintain that vital link with His Heavenly Father how much more should we in this present, evil world.
                                                                         To be continued

NEPAL EARTHQUAKE-Nepali Christian outreach to stricken areas.

Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
It was on 25 April 2015 Saturday at 11.57 the Earthquake started from Barpak village, Gorka District. We were at the end of our worship service; suddenly it came out and the houses were shaking. The earthquake was 7.9 scale and small earthquake is coming over and over. This violent earthquake damaged N.E. Lamjung, Gorka, Rasuwa, Dolakha, Sunsari, Sinduplanchok, Bhaktpur, Kathmandu and many more Districts.
This earthquake has devastated and brought many pain and suffering to the Nepalese people. We saw the great famine and need for the people. On April 27 we the R.... Churches of Nepal central committee had an emergency meeting and came to a conclusion to help the needy ones. We elders prayed together and asked God's Grace and mercy for the victims people and we decided to move to Lamjung district. On April 28 bro. P....and myself started to move at 10.30 but because of heavy rain in Butwal couldn't move at the right time. Then we moved at 2.30 pm on that day to Besishar Lamjung and reached at 10.00pm. From Naryanghat to Muglim the roads were jammed and we couldn't reach on time. We were so tired because of long journey.
On 29 April along with bro. Pr......and bro. Dil we started our journey at 8.30am for Kolki east Lanjung. It was a horrible journey on our motor bikes struggling on the way and reached Kolki at 3.00 pm. 12 houses were totally collapsed, 69 houses were cracked and leaking, 2 were injured and 1 dead. We heard that there were a few believers in that area but there was no one. We had an opportunity to share the Gospel to some of the people personally. Well we pray that God may change their hearts and come to Christ (In some places these brethren could not minister to people since the media reported that these Christians we attempting to forcibly convert people). We were unable to move back to Besishar on that day and  we stayed there. Midnight at 11pm there was a heavy rain and we couldn't sleep well that night because the roof was leaking. As we planned out before to help food, clothes, etc but some private schools and some other private organizations were distributing food, biscuits, noodles, etc. there. We were looking to help the believers and on 30 April we came to know that 11 Christian family houses and 1 Church meeting place is collapsed in Illam Pokhari. As we tried to visit Illam Pokhari from Kolki we were unable to go because of the roads. It was a heavy rain and the road got damaged. We started our journey at 10.00 am and reached at 3.00pm at Besishar. We hardly return back to Beshishar. It was an adventure journey, unforgettable moment we had experienced. We thank God for His grace and mercy in our journey. Thanks so much for your prayers and wiring money for the victim's people. We had discovered to help Kolki 10 houses and Illam Pokhari 14 houses. Christian people providing material (tin) for the roof and if the budget will left we will provide rice, pulse, salt, oil, etc for the Christian people in some other villages who are in great need.
Yesterday bro S..... moved back to Butwal to arrange many more things there. Including RCN, associated with the Heart Cry and other Christian brothers, down to Butwal are also going to contribute for this work. Any individual, local church or mission organisation can be part of this relief work. I am staying here in Lamjung to discover more how we can help and use the money in proper way for the needy ones. From coming Monday to Thursday we are planning to distribute what we have decided. Recently the roads are not good, totally damaged and hard to reach with material in that place where we visited. Please pray that God may open the roads and work out as we plan to help those people. Let our God be glorified in all this work. Let the Kingdom be advanced through the work of the Gospel and deeds.
In Christ,
Sarvajit.

We had the opportunity to minister in Churches in the Butwal area of Nepal last March. Churches
in Nepal are generally impoverished but are ready to help in cases like this generously.
For your benefit, I have copied Sarvajit's report exactly as it was sent together with a few photos
from the many sent.
A more recent report tells how these brothers were able to reach their desired area and distribute to the needs of the people.

Spiritual Growth - Eph.4:11-16.
What does it mean? To increase in the Faith and reach maturity spiritually.
Why do we need this, what is the purpose? If we failed in this it would be against the will of God and we would be unfit to live in Heaven.
The whole of life speaks about growth. Humans, birds, animals, plants, etc., come into the world and go on to reach a stage in their lives when full growth is reached or achieved. Nature has the principle of growth in its foundation.
Someone put it like this, 'All things have built into them the Law of growth and if they do not grow they violate the purpose of living' . God has arranged the world with one view in mind-Life and Growth. Everything that happens to our Christian lives has one purpose and goal-that we may grow in Christ. Paul, the Apostle, in v.15, put it like this, 'Grow into Him in all things....'
In saving us God intends that one day we should live with Him in Eternity. That means that we will live with a Holy, Eternal God. But before that happens He intends us to go through a process that will enable us to live with Him in Heaven. Why does God not take us into Heaven immediately the moment we are saved? The answer may not be so obvious. Heaven is not made up of spiritual babies. If it were, we would not even know who God was, what holiness is, etc. etc. We prepare for Heaven here on earth-a long process.
When saved, God's plan and will for us is not just to join a Church or become familiar with the ins and outs of a Denomination but grow in Christ and become like Him. The job of the Church is to make believers real spiritually minded people, mature in the Faith and knowledge of our Saviour and God.
At conversion, the life of God that enters our being has within it the potential to develop us into the image of Christ. And so, the Holy Spirit enters our life and starts to prod us towards growth. He builds in us the urge to grow, naturally and spiritually. If we do not grow it is not because God has not set the stage for growth but because we fail to do so. There is nothing more distressing in the Christian Church than to watch people who do not grow in the Faith. We get anxious about a plant in our garden that despite the care we give it fails to grow. How much more should we be about our life which is eternal if it does not grow.
How do we recognize that there no spiritual growth?
In exactly the same way that a human being fails to grow physically or mentally. Believers who fail to grow simply live stunted lives spiritually, always learning but never advancing into the deeper things of the Word. Feeding on milk but not on solid food-Spiritual babies. 1 Cor.3:1-3.
                                                                       To be continued