We Can Quench The Holy Spirit Activity In Us

                                                     When The Door Slams

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every from of malice                                                                                                                                                 Ephesians 4:30-31 

        We cannot prevent God from accomplishing His work in the world around us, but we can quench 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 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; Isa 6:9). 

        Think about this: 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. If you continually reject the Spirit's activity, a day will come when you no longer hear a word from God. If you repeatedly suppress God's Word to you so that you are no longer sensitive to His voice, He will not give you a fresh word. Be careful of resisting the voice of the Holy 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. 

We are looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works (Titus 2:13-14).  

The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever (Timothy 4:18). 

Ask the Holy 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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Knowledge Can Easily Lead To Pride

                                                     When The Door Slams

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." Yes, Father for this is what you were pleased to do.     Luke 10:21

        One hindrance to hearing a word from God may be our own wisdom. Wisdom, like success, can delude us to think we should take the role of teacher rather than student. Our knowledge lulls us into thinking we have sufficient wisdom to meet any challenge. Leaning on our own understanding and  believing we are wise temps us to evaluate the shortcomings of others, and yet we are unaware of how much growth is still required in ourselves.

        The Pharisees were the religious experts of their day. They possessed much information about God, but they had no personal relationship with Him. Their knowledge clouded their view of their condition before God. Jesus thanked His Father that it was not to these "experts" that the Father had revealed spiritual truth, but rather to those who were humble and who recognized their need for God's revelation. 

        When religious leaders experience spiritual failure, their downfall is often met with surprise. It shouldn't be like that. Religious people with the most knowledge are sometimes the ones least responsive to God's Word. Knowledge can easily lead to pride, and pride impedes us from seeking God's wisdom.

        Think about this: How do you know if you are a "Pharisee"? When you do not have a teachable spirit. When you become defensive if a fellow Christian shares a concern about your spiritual condition. When you do not seek to hear from God, believing you already know what He thinks. When you feel that you are capable of helping others in their spiritual lives, but no can teach you anything. Don't allow the limited knowledge you now have blind or deceive you to the great truths God still wants to reveal to you. 

Once I was alienated from God and was an enemy in my mind because of my evil works. But now He has reconciled me by His fleshly body through death to present me holy and blameless in His sight and free from reproach (Colossians 1:21-22).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:13). 

The God of hope will fill me with all joy and peace as I trust in Him, so that I may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

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

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God's Will Is Not Hard To Understand

                                                       When The Door Slams

This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach.                                                                                                                                            Deuteronomy 30:11

        The Christian life is not difficult. The same Christ who lived a perfect, obedient, and sinless life stands prepared to live it again through you (Gal. 2:20). God 's will is not hard to discern. He has given us the Scriptures, which reveal His will, and He has placed His Holy Spirit within us to guide us to His perfect will in every situation (John 16:13). Our greatest challenge will be to commit our lives to follow God's will obediently as He reveals it.

        Moses gathered the Israelites around Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim before they were to enter the Promised Land. There, God described what they had to do in order to obey Him. God gave detailed instructions so there was no misunderstanding what was expected of them. Then God asked them to make a choice. If they chose to disobey His commands, they would face His wrath. If they chose to obey, they would receive His blessing.

        Think about this: God's Word comes to you in the same way. It is not too complex to understand. You don't have to struggle to discern God's will about adultery or forgiveness or lying and honesty. God's Word is perfectly clear. The question is, how will you respond? Nowhere in the Scripture did God excuse disobedience because His instructions were too vague or complex. Condemnation came because they knew exactly what God wanted them to do, yet they chose not to do it! God, through His Holy Spirit, will always give you sufficient revelation and strength to take the next step with Him. If you are uncertain about what God is asking of you, make sure that you are obeying to all that you do know; and through your obedience, God's next instruction will become clear.

My struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, I will put on the full armor of God, so that I may be able to resist in the day of evil, and having done all, to stand (Eph. 6:12-13).  

Since I have been raised with Christ, I should seek the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. May I set my mind on the things above, not on the things on the earth, for I died, and my life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is my life appears, then I also will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:1-4).

Your grace is sufficient for me, for Your power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I can be content in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2Co.12:9-10). 

Ask the Holy 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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Confession Is A Command, Given To Every Christian

                                                      When The Door Slams

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.                                                                               James 5:13-16 

 

        Confession is God's provision to clear obstacles that hinder our relationship with God and with others. Confession is not just for those who don't mind admitting their faults. Confession is a command, given to every Christian, James advised that when we sin, it is important for us to confess not only to God but also to our fellow Christians. There is a tremendous freedom that comes as we openly acknowledge the stupidity of our actions to others.

        If confession does not come out of repentance, it is nothing else but admission, and not true confession. It is important to confess your sins specifically and not hide behind generalities. It is one thing to pray "O Lord, forgive my sin." It's quite another to identify your sin specifically in painful honesty. Whenever possible, confession ought to be made directly to those whom your sin has hurt. You are not to confess the sins of others but only your offenses. Confession is not a sign of weakness; it is evidence of your refusal to allow sin to remain in your life.  

        Think about this: James linked confession with prayer. Your prayers will be hindered if you hold on to unconfessed sin. When James promised that "the urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful," he did so in the context of confession. If you wish to have a powerful prayer life, you must regularly confess your sin. Only when there are no obstacles separating you from God and others will your prayers be effective. Pride will discourage you from admitting to others the stupidity of your heart. True Christian will  have a desire to please God, and compel you to confess your sin and rid yourself of its oppressive burden.

In the past God overlooked the times of ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given assurance of this to all men by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:30-31).  

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

                                                                    Never Rest Ministries