The Stumbling Blocks To Spiritual Journey
And
How To Avoid Them

By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze

1. The death of a loved one.
2. A great disappointment.
3. The failure of what we have invested so much in.
4. A revelation in the form of dream, vision or trance.
5. An overwhelming, shattering, loss.
6. A narrow escape from death.

1. Ignorance
            Ignorance is like a prison, which keeps people from knowing the truth. Majority do not even know that this ignorance is holding them captive. That is why Jesus said that you shall know the truth ands the truth shall set you free. The unfortunate thing is that people do not know that they have to seek and find this truth. And no one finds the truth by shying away from it.
   


2. Wrong beliefs, Called Blind Faith
            Beware of your belief. It either opens the door for or locks you out. You must reconsider all your beliefs and practices, for many are teaching the figments of imagination, the fabrication of falsehood and the deceptions of the enemy. The religious leader do not know the truth and therefore cannot teach the truth, for no one can teach what he does not know.
   


3. Pride
            Pride, because every religion claims to be the best, which is not true. How can a traveller, who has not even started a journey, claim to have reached the destination? Pride leads lead to spiritual deception, because majority mistake intellectual change and physical wellbeing for spiritual progress.
   


4. Fear
            Fear is man-made, and it is unnecessary. Avoid it because it is evil.
            People fear because of uncertainties, confusion, complexity, overwhelming destruction, the unknown, etc.
            If you want to grow in spirit and in truth, the first three worst enemies you must conquer are: ignorance, selfishness and fear.
            Why society encourages fear for the following reasons:
   • Because people are ignorant.
   • As a means of controlling people.
   • To discipline others.
   • To enforce obedience and morality.
            In the process if frightening people into submission, the society ends up rearing submissive people. The bad side is that people remain spiritually blind and dead: ignorant, stagnant and complacent.
   
            Nature is an open book, written by God for His children.
            Any person can read and understand it on his own.
   
            The foundation of wisdom of wisdom is not fear. There are many statements in the Bible in the Bible that were made by ordinary people. With time, the church and public regard such statements as the words of God.
            Many are quick to say that ‘fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.’ It is not fear that is the beginning of wisdom, for everything breeds its own nature. Fear can only lead to more fears. That is the simple truth, in spirit. Fear is evil, and it is punishable.
            You can say:
   The knowledge of truth is the foundation of wisdom.
   The love of God is the beginning of wisdom.
   Righteousness is the true path of wisdom. The same righteousness is obedience to God, in following the footsteps of God.
   
            For so many times in the Bible, God said ‘Fear not.’
   


5. Snares
            “There are so many snares on the way,” says the Master.
   There are so many things misleading people from seeking and finding God. The worst thing is that people do not know that such things hinder them from finding God. Examples of the snares are:
   • Noise.
   • Noisy, booming and bombarding music and sounds from sellers and music shops. “Be still and know that I am God,” says the Lord. Psalm 46:10
   • Everyday hustle and bustle.
   • Distractions like watching video films all night. The night is one of the best opportunities for spiritual practice and growth.
   • Materialism: Money and wealth.
   • The enemies of God: the Devil, evil spirits, demons, mermaids, ghosts, witches and black energies.
   
   
6. Stubbornness
            Many teachings of God have been turned upside down, and people have been brainwashed into accepting the false teachings. Majority are not ready to drop those false teachings and practices. People do not want to investigate their beliefs and practices. And what many call faith is nothing but stubbornness.
            In the world, you have the vehicles to move you on the road. You have the ships to move you on the waters. The airplanes move you in the air. In spirit, the way and the means of mobility is rest – quietness, silence and mediation.
            Only very few know or seek this all important wisdom. That is why Jesus called this way of living in the Kingdom of heaven, "the narrow path," and said few find it. He also said that "foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
   


7. Indolence
            Indolence means laziness. People love easy things that are fascinating. That is why the devil do mislead many.
            Indolence also refers to inability to pray, the unwillingliness to study the scriptures, the failure to spiritual practice, etc.
   


8. Over Trusting The Religious Leaders
            There are so many books to read about God and life. For this reading exercise, literacy is both good and compulsory.
   • Your everlasting fate (Salvation or Doom) is not something to play with.
   • Such an important matter should not be carelessly entrusted into the hands of ignorant leaders.
   • You will be amazed! Jesus did not say 'only believe'. He said that you have to seek the kingdom. In fact, to know the Truth, you have to study it as you would study a career/course. Indeed, you will be amazed when you know the Truth. And reading one holy book is not enough.
   
   
9. Restlessness
            People allow the cares and worries of everyday life to stop them from seeking and finding the kingdom of heaven.
   


10. Disbelief
             To disbelief the truth is very dangerous, for truth is what it is whether you believe it or not.
    


11. Holier Than Thou Attitude
             This is what misleads so many, without their knowing it. Each thinks that he is the best, when indeed he has not even started the spiritual journey.
    


12. Wrong Set Of Ppriorities
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13. Habit And Daily Routine
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14. Popular Trends And Fashion
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15. Conventions
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16. Misleading Role Models
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17. Materialism (Excessive Hunt For Money And Wealth)
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