Preparing A Sensitive Heart For Revival

"Quench not the Spirit."1 Thessalonians 5:19

The Bible has a lot to say about being sensitive to the Lord and tothe Holy Spirit that lives within us. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead, which consists of the Father, the Son, and theHoly Spirit. The Father loved us, the Son gave Himself for us, and the Holy Spirit touches the heart to bring about the miracle ofsalvation. Ephesians 4:30 says, "And grieve not the holy Spirit ofGod, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

The Holy Spirit has many roles as the third Person of the Godhead.The Holy Spirit guides and comforts and is very desirous to touch our hearts so that we can experience personal revival. In some of our hearts, He experiences freedom to do His work, but some of us quenchor extinguish the work that He desires to do in our lives.

Perhaps you have experienced a time in your family when one of thechildren has had something exciting to share. After a long day of work, maybe you brushed them off and watched as their excitement was quenched and they walked sorrowfully back to their bedroom. We all know that people can be quenched. The Holy Spirit can also bequenched when we say no to Him and to His working in our lives.

After we have identified the role of the Holy Spirit, we must recognize and be sensitive to His leading. Often He is quenched by our neglect. This is the failure of allowing Him to rule; it is aheart issue. Galatians 5:17 states, "For the flesh lusteth againstthe Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."Some Christians have said no to the Lord so often, that they become desensitized and their heart is calloused to the things of the Lord.

Many years ago, we were visiting my granddad's farm in Colorado. This particular summer he was having a problem with his garden. Although he tried everything he could to keep them away, the deer were getting into his vegetables. He played loud music on his radio, and he put bright lights around the fence to scare them away. This tactic workedfor about two days, but the deer soon realized that there was no one out there. All they did was have a party in the garden! The truth isthat they got used to granddad's decoys. Just as the deer became desensitized to the lights and music, we often become desensitized to the quickening of the Holy Spirit. We ought never to get used to theHoly Spirit convicting us.

When was the last time that you felt the Holy Spirit working in yourheart? The best time to obey the Holy Spirit is right when He is speaking. When a Christian gets past the point of feeling the Holy Spirit, his heart has become hardened. Dear friend, never get past that point. Always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit of God. As you go about your day, determine to obey every impulse of God and watch asHe blesses you for your obedience to Him.

By Dr. Paul Chappell
Lancaster Baptist Church - California

None of These Things Move Me

Acts 20:22-24" And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto
Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save
that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and
afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count
I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with
joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to
testify of the gospel of the grace of God."

We live in a constantly changing society that is affecting our
culture and eroding the godly morals of previous generations. In the
middle of all this change, I thank God for Malachi 3:6a, which simply
says, "For I am the Lord, I change not." I thank God today for His
immutability, for the fact that His Word never changes and that He is
the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Just as God is unchangeable, I believe that men and women who walk
closely with God will also possess about them a characteristic like
God in that they will not change in the basic truths and principles
of His Word. In this passage we see Paul's meeting with the Ephesian
pastors at Troas where the apostle Paul was ministering to the
believers there. At the end of his discourse he states, "None of
these things move me." This simply tells us that Paul was valuing his
circumstances as nothing. They were not going to weigh him down or
change his vigor and desire to do the work of God. Paul knew his
purpose and would not be moved from fulfilling what God would have
him to do.

Paul would not allow the burden he had for others to move him. The
fact is that when you are serving God faithfully, and working a job
and doing all the extra things in life, sometimes just trying to love
people can be an overwhelming responsibility. Paul says in 2
Corinthians 11:28, "Beside those things that are without, that which
cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." The care of all
the ministry needs was a tremendous burden on Paul. Despite the fact
that trials were on the horizon, Paul was bound to do the work of
God. The Holy Spirit had a predetermined destiny for his life and was
keeping him going as a witness and worker for God.

We must realize that there will be times of discomfort and suffering
in the ministry. Our burden for the work of God may involve time and
it may involve transitions. Acts 18:5 says, "And when Silas and
Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit,
and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ." Paul's burden for
others would not keep him from testifying of the Gospel, rather it
caused him to continue in his purpose of seeing souls saved.

Paul would not quit. He realized that he had a high calling. I wonder
today what would it take to get you to quit? What would it take to
move you from the will of God for your life? Though we will be
burdened with overwhelming circumstances as we go about our day, may
we determine that none of these things shall move us from fulfilling
that which God has called us to do.

by Dr. Paul Chappell
(Lancaster Baptist Church - California)