Resisting The Holy Spirit Voice

                                                        When The Door Slams

Do not smother the work of the Holy Spirit. Do not treat prophecy as if it were unimportant.                  But test everything. Keep what is good, and stay away from everything that is evil.                                                                          1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

        We cannot prevent God from accomplishing His work in the world around us, but we can smother His Spirit in our lives. God has given us the freedom to withstand the Holy Spirit's activity in our lives. When we ignore, disobey, or reject what the Spirit is telling us, we smother or quench His activity in us. Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah who described the result:                             

        "You will listen and listen, yet never understand; and you will look and look, yet never perceive. For this people's heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn back--and I would cure them" (Matt. 13:14-15; see Isa. 6:9).

        When you sin, the Holy Spirit will convict you of your need for repentance. If you habitually ignore Him and do not repent, your heart will grow hardened to God's Word. If the Spirit speaks to you about God's will for you, and if you refuse to take action, a time will come when the Spirit's voice will be muted in your life. 

        Think about this: If you continually reject the Spirit's repeatedly, a day will come when you no longer hear a word from God. If you repeatedly resisting God's Word to you so that you are no longer sensitive to His voice, He will not give you a fresh word. Be wary of resisting the voice of the Spirit in your life. You may not always be comfortable with what the Spirit is saying to you, but His words will guide you to abundant life. 

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                          Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for his forgiveness 

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Religious Group

                                                     When The Door Slams

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (Proverbs 16:25).               Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, I am he; and will deceive many (Mark 13:5,6). But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you,  let him be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:8).      These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. (2 Peter 2:17-19). 

        Practically every cult has certain characteristics that can tell the careful observer that something is wrong. For instance, what does a group think about Jesus? Invariably, a cult will put something else on an equal footing with Christ...a ritual that is equal to Christ, or a doctrine equal to Christ, or a leader who is equal to Christ. In other words, even if it acknowledges Christ as Savior, it will say that you need something else before you can get into heaven....   

        Second, cults frequently attempt to instill fear into their followers. The followers are taught constantly that salvation comes through the cult. "If you leave us, you will lose your salvation," they say. 

        The third area has to do with the exaltation of the leader of the cult. Cults often center around a man or woman who is trying to gain power, money, or influence from manipulating people....When someone says he has a unique insight from God or is the special one that God has anointed to reach the world, you are dealing with cultic behavior. 

        Think about this: A final mark of a cult is the unwillingness of the leaders to let the people grow up. A true shepherd will do everything he can to bring Christian people to maturity as quickly as he can. He will not seek to avoid necessary teaching, nor will he try to keep people for maturity. Many cults perpetuate spiritual dependence so that their followers lose the ability to make independent, rational decisions. 

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas if unconfessed sin.                            Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.                                                                                                                                           Never Rest Ministries                                                                                                                                                             

Be Patient

                                                     When The Door Slams

Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes again. A farmer patiently waits for his valuable crop to grow from the earth and for it to receive the autumn and spring rains. You, too, must be patient. Do not give up hope, because the Lord is coming soon. Brothers and sisters, do not complain against each other or you will be judged guilty. And the Judge is ready to come! Brothers and sisters, follow the example of the prophets who spoke for the Lord. They suffered many hard things, but they were patient. We say they are happy because they did not give up. You have heard about Job's patience, and you know the Lord's purpose for him in the end. You know the Lord is full of mercy and is kind.                                                                                                          James 5:7-11

        The typical reaction in the midst of suffering and struggle for many people is to grumble and complain. The root of the grumbling often centers on a comparison game that is played. If we are struggling financially, we look at another couple who seems to be doing well financially and complain that we are not like them. They may in fact be struggling in some other area. The apostle Paul encouraged us not to compare ourselves with others. 

        We are also challenged not to gripe and focus on our problems and sufferings, but instead to follow the example of the prophets. The prophets stuck their necks out and pointed people to Christ. They were patient in the midst of the suffering they encountered because of the message they were sent to give.

        Think about this: James wants us to focus on the Lord's coming rather than on the suffering of the world present circumstances. Are you expectantly watching for the hand of the Lord to move in your life, or are you wallowing in self-pity because of your circumstances. Lord God, thank You for the serenity and joy that come from serving You. May I be strong and not lose courage, for my work will be rewarded. My faith does not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                            Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.  

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Press On To What Is Ahead

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I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. Brothers and sister, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.         Philippians 3:12-14  

        The world will tell you that the dominating influence in your life is your past. If you came from a difficult home life, that will determine the direction of your life. If your culture was treated unfairly, that will dictate the condition of your life today. If you were hurt or abused or if your youth was spent in rebellion, the remainder of your life will be spent struggling with your past. The world is preoccupied with the past because it faces an uncertain future.

         Christians, on the other hand, live in freedom because Christ has overcome our past. The "old things" have been done away with and "new things" have come (2 Cor. 5:17). God has totally forgiven the Christian's sin that He chooses not to remember it (Isa. 43:25). Christians do not forget the past, but we are not controlled or motivated by it. The Christian looks to the future with hope.

        Think about this: The people of the world focus on what they are overcoming. Christians focus on what they are becoming. Christians know that the Holy Spirit is conforming them into the image of Christ. Christians know that ultimately they will stand before Christ to give an account of their actions and will spend eternity in the presence of God. Christians know that eventually every injustice will be addressed and every hurt comforted. We know that Satan, and death itself, will finally be brought to an end. The Christian's future is so full and rich and exciting that it supersedes whatever happened in the past. If you are preoccupied with your past, ask God to open your eyes to the incredible future that awaits you and begin, like Paul, to press on to what is ahead.     

Ask the spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                          Acknowledge these to the Lord  and thank Him for His forgiveness.                                                                                                                                                                       Never Rest Ministries                   

Only The True Worship

                                                     When The Door Slams 

Open the gates, and the good people will enter, those who follow God. Lord, You, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you. So, trust the Lord always, because he is our everlasting strength.                                        Isaiah 26:2-4 

        

        God created us as spiritual beings.                                                                                                      The Ten Commandments state we are to worship no other than the true God of the Scriptures. Sometimes we worship other people. We watch soap operas, read paper back novels, and spend hours fantasizing about what it would be like to be someone else. 

        Sometimes we worship things. we surround our selves with gadgets, in beautifully furnished homes, while driving the best machines anyone can make. But we are still empty inside. Sometimes we worship ourselves. We think we are wise, all-powerful, and perfect. If we deceive anyone, it certainly isn't the people we live with. We are fooling only ourselves.  

        Think about this: Only the true worship of God fulfills our humanity. If we worship anyone or anything else, we lose our ability to function as whole human beings. The way to peace and serenity is the way back to God who made us. 

        God does not want us to consider Him just another duty to be added to an already frantic schedule. He wants to be at the heart of our experience. The result is a wholeness, peace and serenity that is unattainable any other way. "O Lord," make me aware that every relationship, every commitment, and every contact today can be an act of worship to You

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                         Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.    

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Things Done In Secret

                                                         When The Door Slams

"For nothing is concealed that won't be revealed,                                                                                        and nothing hidden that won't be made known and come to light."                                                                                                                                                                                Luke 8:17 

        One of Satan's subtle deceptions is that you can do things in secret that will never be revealed. This is simply not so. The Bible stresses that everything done in darkness will one day be brought to light. So before you commit yourself to do anything questionable, or you think no one will know, seriously ask yourself, "Am I willing for those around me to know what kind of person I am or what I am about to do? Am I willing for God to watch me participate in this activity, will God forgive me?" He might not. 

        Think about this: The knowledge that God sees what we do, the certainty that we are accountable for every word and action, ought to dissuade us from sin (2 Cor. 5:10). But we can become so alienated or disgraceful from God that even this knowledge does not deter us. God promises that He will publicly expose our sin so that we must give an account to others for our actions. Ultimately, everything we do will be exposed on Judgment Day.

        Still, some people believe they can sin against God, their families, husband ,wife, their employers, or their friends and never be discovered. God has provided a safeguard against sin: the certainty of disclosure. Scripture commands us to expose the deeds of darkness as we become aware of them        (Eph. 5:11). As Christians we are to be that light that dispels darkness in our world. Sin shell not be my master, because I am not under law, but under grace. I have been set free from sin and have become a slave of righteousness. (Romans 6:14, 18). He who has Your commandments and obeys them, he is the one who loves You; and he who loves You will be loved by Your Father, and You will love him and manifest Yourself to him. (John 14:21) 

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                         Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                                                                        Never Rest Ministries