Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 188
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life Ministries
International
Littleton, Colorado
Notice: this email is part of a
BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”. Why a
blog? So that many can receive these thoughts
in an easy manner.
Just
as Michael speaks all the time about our rising and falling with our “definitions,”
he points out here that we can do likewise by faulty understandings. There are several truths to be gleaned in
Michael’s writing of Day 124. Wonder if
you have ever considered them…
DAY 124
Grieve Not the Holy Spirit!
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and
clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one
another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven
you. --Ephesians 4:30-32
Why are
we not to grieve the Holy Spirit? Many have taken this
passage to mean that they can push the Holy Spirit to the place where He will
either leave or God will severely punish them. However, we must first look at why the Holy Spirit is
given. Acts 9:31, “So
the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being
built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the
comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.” The Comforter
is technically a Helper. John 14:16, “And I will ask the Father, and He
will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever,” and John 14:26,
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will
teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” So, then, how does the believer
grieve the Holy Spirit? Simply by refusing His help.
Often I have had the unpleasant experience of
“helping” someone learn the computer. I must admit that most of the time it has
been a grievous experience, for, out of necessity, the person learning must be
at the keyboard, the control center. The problem is that he is always asking
questions, and then before I can suggest the answer, he starts moving the mouse
all around, madly clicking here and there and already creating a problem much
worse than if he had done nothing. He wants help but does not want help, and I
am grieved. I am the helper there to make his life easier, but to the extent
that he refuses to listen, his life will be less than productive and he will
know nothing. I was there for his good, not my own, and if he does not listen,
I am grieved for him but have not cut him off. The same is true for our
children. As parents we are helpers. However, if our young ones refuse to
listen and go their own way, we are grieved for their sake. The Holy Spirit only tells us the
things that will make us happy; if we follow, the Holy Spirit is not grieved. It is a difficult concept, but
sin no longer hurts Jesus; He already died for the sin of all men. We are not
to sin because sin hurts us, and when we are hurt, the Helper is grieved. Therefore, to be happy and not
grieve the Helper, do the following, “Let all bitterness and wrath
and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ
also has forgiven you.”
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
It has been my experience as a pastor to see very few Christians ever
giving thought to whether or not they are “grieving the Holy Spirit.” Most of them because they do not think they
have committed a “big” enough sin that qualifies for that. To even think of “refusing the Spirit’s help”
is not even what most Christians would consider as something that would grieve the Spirit.
The “difficult concepts” are those that keep us from experiencing God.
To access ALL past weekly
blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital
“C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com
NOTICE: another blog on
Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the
Wilderness. You can access by logging onto
www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P.O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches, Tx 75963 936-559-5696
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