Some events in the past week have caused me to remember a verse in Jeremiah. It says,
"If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot."
Between Wednesday and Sunday about 90% of our church "shared" a stomach bug. Many had something inside them and had no choice about holding it in or not. They just shared it. Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet, became fed up with giving a gospel to a people who would not take it. He constantly tried to tell them to change their ways, but they would not. He finally decided to quit, and something inside of him caused him to say those words.
O, that God would give us the fire so we would not have a choice. No. O, that we would not hinder the fire in us from burning to the point that it would remove our choice. How might we be "quenching the Spirit?", and what might we do about it?
1 month ago
2 comments:
Thank the Lord I was one of the 10%that did not get the stomach bug from last Wed. night. I pray that our visitors were also among the 10% that didn't get sick.
Your blog reminds me of another unwilling prophet, Jonah. "And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon dry land" JONAH 2:10
Jonah did not like the people of Nineveh to whom God told him to go and preach about God's judgment for their evil ways. Of course, God used the big fish to get Jonah's attention.
Even after Jonah did what God had told him to do, he resented the people for repenting from their sins and turning back to God. God again had to get his attention by using a gourd.
It's easy for me to wonder how foolish Jonah was to resist God. Then I think of times I have done things to resist or "quench the Spirit".
During those times I physically and spiritually feel distanced from God because I have broken my fellowship with Him.
When I repent from my resistance and pray for His forgiveness I find Him right where I left Him.
I would say that we all need to exam our motives and repent from our resistance which quenches the Spirit in our lives. Thank the Lord that He promises to be right where we left Him.
All the fishes are gone, so I am going to tell you a story about a wolf.
Once a Cherokee chief told his grandson about a great battle. He tells that the battle is between two "wolves" that live inside of each of us.
One wolf represents evil: it is envy, jealousy, greed, ego, pride, lies, gossip, resentment, and hopelessness.
The other wolf is good: it is joy , love, faith, and kindness; trust in God, truth, humility, and gratitude.
The grandson asks his Grandfather, "Which one wins the Battle?"
The Grandfather replied, "The one you feed"
We have to be ENTHUSIASTIC about seeking the Lord; we have to STAY focused on Jesus.
Prayer and the reading of the word and fellowship with other Christians will help to feed the "Good" wolf in us and to keep the Spirit's fire burning.
When we allow negative thoughts in they become negative actions.
I hope everyone is feeling better....
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