SUBJECT - THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT!! [5]
Last month, I was describing how, in the Church, we tend to pursue our own interests, as it pertains to tradition, without following the direction that the Holy Spirit would have us to move in.
I had finished, by looking at how a relatively simple thing, as having a picture, or statue of Christ, could lead to a major problem in the Church, and some communities, especially the black community.
I had mentioned, how blacks, having been accustomed to always seeing a picture of a 'white Jesus', took the initiative of coming up with a 'black Jesus', started rejecting certain scriptures, though spiritually correct, because they were perceived to be, applicable to whites, and not blacks, were actually sinning against Christ, then taking communion, in an unrepentant state, and are suffering for it.
When I am asked, how I come up with all of this, my answer is, 'I am looking at things the way God sees them, by way of the Holy Spirit.'
To man, this, and other things, seems absolutely like a bunch of nonsense. And that is because, as I mentioned earlier,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Meaning, he/she, cannot see the Spiritual significance of the things that are happening around them, and how to proceed.
People that have followed this ministry through the years, have come away with one of these opinions. They either say,
'I never saw it like that!', 'You know, you're right!', or 'this is one of those religious nuts!', or some variation of one of these.
All of this, I owe to the Holy Spirit.
Because of His guidance, I can truly say, if I didn't pay attention to His leading, I would be a mess. Not many things rattle me, even when it comes to shootings in the neighborhood. But, the prospect of not having the Holy Spirit in my life, terrifies me.
I don't know about you, but, the neighborhood I live in, is not conducive to peace of mind, what with drug dealers, shootings, house fires every week, break-ins, cars speeding down the streets, hip hop being blasted all over the place, and other things continuously going on. I like to be able to sleep at night, and have peace. Well, the Holy Spirit gives me that. And that alone, is worth more than anything.
The way things are going in this nation, and around the world, is causing people to, have heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, cancer, drug addiction, kill someone, or commit suicide.
And you think we don't need God?? Everything that's happening, proves to me, that
we need Him, more than ever! As David once said,
'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for though art with me.' What is driving the reactions, and emotions of most people, including most Christians, is fear. Fear of the unknown.
Well, those that are following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are prepared for the unknown, because it is not unknown to them, because He shows them, what is what. It is sort of like the old saying,
'4 warned, is, 4 armed.'
Several times in the bible, you read scriptures that say,
'He that hath an ear, let him hear.' Do you know what that means? It means, God is speaking to you, all you have to do, is listen, then follow.
I would dare say, that everything that goes wrong in our lives, essentially is because we have failed to listen to His leading.
That is why I said earlier, we want to find someone else to
blame. and, too many times, the one we blame, is the one that is telling us, we are the ones that are wrong.
God, never allows something to happen to any of us, without first, giving us warning.
However, if, after we get the warning, we refuse to take heed to it, then who's fault is it, if we end up paying the price for our disobedience??
How does God warn us?? Usually through our supposed to be, Spiritual leaders. They are, for all intents and purposes the voice of God. By this I mean, they were put in their positions, by God [anointed], to be His Mouthpieces, if you will, to lead and guide us in the things, and ways of God. And they, being anointed by Him, are being led by the Holy Spirit. At least, that is the way it is supposed to go.
Today, most churches, are being pastored by people, who may have college degrees, are popular in their communities as being 'great orators', or put in their positions by church leadership, or by some other criteria, that have absolutely no business being there, because they are not anointed by God. And the reason being, He didn't call them to be in that position.
As a result, when a person, even a saved, spirit filled Christian, is out of step with God, things are going to go wrong, because God won't back [support], what they are doing, especially when it comes to the church, and spiritual matters.
The Church, is supposed to be a place, where the sinner, the sick, the blind, deaf, dumb, lame, the bound, depressed, dying, and such can come, and get delivered. But that is not happening. Why?? Because the church, is out of order. It is not being led by the Holy Spirit. This means, the people, are directed to seek assistance, from some other means, like the public, or private sector businesses, that deal with these problems.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't remember Jesus, referring people to any outside help, because He was unable to heal them. That is, unless it was their own, unbelief
[Mat 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.], that was the problem.
Oh, these churches do a lot of good, feeding the hungry, and providing some measure of relief, by providing clothing, and sometimes, shelter to the needy, and setting up 'programs' for the needy, but that is nothing more than the least that it should do.
Tell me this. Which of the two, do you think will draw a person to put their faith in God? A person being fed by the Church, or a person, going in to a church, blind, and having
someone lay hands on them, and praying their eyes be opened, and they walk out, seeing?? If it were me, I'd say, the latter. Why?? Because any one can feed a hungry person, or for that matter, clothe the naked. But, hospitals, and the greatest medical minds in the country, can't cause a blind person to see, at least without operating on them, and then, there is a chance, it won't work.
We have become so complacent in our 'Christian walk', that when we hear of miraculous things happening in small, storefront churches, or some tent meetings, or even in other countries, we think it is some sort of 'trick', to fool the people. Why is this?? Because we are so used to a Spiritless atmosphere in our churches, that anything, that the Holy Spirit is doing, is looked at suspiciously, as being a trick, or something to get members, or money.
People come to church, with no expectation of any supernatural move of the Holy Spirit, and they aren't disappointed. And this all comes from the fact that any move of the Spirit, usually starts, in the pulpit. If it is not in the pulpit, then the people will not benefit from what the Holy Spirit can do.
However, even in this state, there is always hope.
The Holy Spirit, no matter what your condition, or the church's, can turn things around. All it takes is our recognition of our Spiritual condition, and unrepentance, and we can begin to see just what can be accomplished, through the Holy Spirit. And after that happens, we will be wanting Him around us, all the time, leading us in the paths of righteousness.
You have undoubtedly heard the saying,
'God, don't bless, no mess!!' Well, if you aren't being led by the Holy Spirit, I don't care if you have millions in your bank account, a good marriage, all your kids are healthy, or any other of the signs people usually look at, as being signs of success,
'you are a mess!! A disaster, waiting to happen.'
How many times have you read about, so-called successful individuals, getting caught up in situations like drugs, adultery[extramarital sex], fornication[sex outside of marriage], committing suicide, checking in to psychiatric clinics, or just getting burned out, or killed?? It happens all the time.
Why?? Because they are not really being fulfilled.
Whenever we are engaged in anything, that is not designed
for us, by God, we are not going to receive all of what God
has for us, that would completely fulfill us.
It is just like a car, that has the ability to go 150 mph. It was designed to do that, but only if you put gasoline in the tank.
What if you filled the tank with water?? The car still has the capability to do it, but, it can't do it with what is in the tank.
By the same token, the Church, has the capability to do all sorts of things, but, instead of having a tank full, if you will, of the Holy Spirit, it is filled with water.
Jesus addressed something like this when He said,
Mat 5:13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Today, in many circles, Christianity, is a joke. Everybody is a christian [small “c”]. If you are not Muslim, buddhist, atheist, or of some other religious affiliation, you are a christian, that is, in your own mind.
Just because you go to church, have a degree in religious studies, hold a position in a church, or helped build the church,
if you don't have the Holy Spirit, guiding your steps, you are going nowhere, fast.
As I mentioned earlier, God will always try to get your attention, by either speaking to you directly, through your spirit, or He will send some person to you, that is led by the Holy Spirit, to reach you.
He will do many things to get your attention. But, at some point, if you refuse to hear, He will allow you to
'bump your head against a brick wall.' If that doesn't do it, then, you will be on your own.
God says,
Ge 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh:....
People have the mistaken belief that God will always work things out for us, no matter how much we rebel against Him. You know,
'all things work together for our good,.......' What they fail to consider, is the last part of that scripture which says,
'for those that love the Lord, and are the called, according to His [not their] purpose.'
You can't be doing things the way you want to do them, and have God support you, in them.
Yet, sad to say, in this nation, most of us tend to believe just that. We have no qualms pursuing all sorts of idiotic ideas, that are an affront to a Holy and Righteous God, strictly for the sake of appeasing ourselves, or someone else. No consideration of what God has to say about it. If someone does try to
tell us, we call them religious zealots, the religious right, or accuse them of not being
'compassionate.'
Now mind you, I am only using 'we', generically. I have a long time ago quit this foolishness, as some of you have. The 'we' is referring to the nation, as a whole. And, it is being led by a church, that has lost its way. And why is that?? Because the preachers have lost their way, because they are not being led by the Holy Spirit.
As mentioned in an earlier message, when some of the most popular preachers in this nation, more specifically, in the black community, are asked by the news media, to comment on the poor condition of the black community, what needs to be done to correct the problem, not one of them, will say, or have said,
'We need to get back to God!!' They will not say it, because they don't believe it.
As a result, those that see, and hear them, continue in their own destructive mindset of, '
I can do it, myself!!' That is telling God to
'Butt Out!!' So, He does. And He lets us go for what we think we know.
The result?? Look at the public school system. Look at our economy. Look at the crime. Look at the homelessness. Look at the despair. Look at the condition of government. And most of all, look at the condition of most of the churches in this nation. Ordaining active homosexuals, to leadership positions, and performing 'gay marriages.' And, with all due respect to women, churches are ordaining women, as pastors, in direct violation to what Christ says. Women have their place in ministry, but not as leaders, especially over men. Their calling is over other women.
Titus 2:3-5 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. This is your calling. Anything more than this, and you are blaspheming God.
This is coming from the Holy Spirit. Reject this, and call it the Devil, and guess what?? You are blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
Mat 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
It is time to get back to God. It is time to seek the Holy Spirit. It is time to leave churches that are engaging in things they aren't supposed to, or that aren't doing what they are supposed to, I don't care who the pastor is.
Leave there and live. Stay there, and die.
The choice, my friend, is all yours.
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