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
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
posted by mS eLoVe | 3:45 PM
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