Post by Zac Loh on Sept 19, 2009 0:26:30 GMT -5
The Holy Spirit Is Crying
Acts 16:6-10
Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6-10)
I heard a minister saying, “If the door is shut, kick it open.” If I remember correctly, he even demonstrated it. In contrast, Jesus said that if He opens, no one shuts …and if He shuts, no one opens (Revelation 3:7).
The Holy Spirit forbade the mission team to preach the word in Asia. The Holy Spirit did not permit them to enter Bithynia. It was explicit! O such sensitivity they had to the Holy Spirit!
Because some of us are chronic door bangers, the Holy Spirit is grieved and crying.
It’s funny I used the word `bangers’. Checking the Oxford dictionary, I found three meanings to the word `banger’:
1. sausage (a slang)
2. noisy old car (a slang)
3. firework designed to go bang.
Well, picture sausages. We look like sausages when we disobey the Holy Spirit.
We are noisy old cars who need constant repairs and upgrading, and you never know when you are breaking down …or burnt out …or breaking apart.
We are like firework designed to bang …fly up majestically and bang …and then it’s all over …like a shooting star which lights up for a few seconds …and then total darkness.
We are banging our heads against doors that God shuts …except that our heads are not feeling the pain …the Holy Spirit is feeling the pain of our disobedience.
We are a bunch of headbangers deafened by our own heavy metal music from our own crazy score sheet.
Note: “headbangers” are fans of heavy metal music (a slang).
We need to pause and listen.
We need to hear the cry of the Holy Spirit.
Have we forfeited the doors opened by Him because we are knocking on the doors shut by Him?
So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)
If Saul had waited for Samuel to arrive to conduct the burnt offerings; Saul wouldn’t have had lost the kingdom. Impatience is due to the fear of losing out. Impatience precedes disobedience.
Abraham carried the divine call to serve God’s purpose and plan. The call was to be passed on to the son of promise or the son whom God promised. Ishmael was the son of Hagar, a bondwoman. Isaac was the son of Sarah, a freewoman. Ishmael was the product of strive and slavery. Isaac was the promised freedom.
If Abraham had waited, Ishmael wouldn’t exist.
So I am prompted by this: “Do you want to serve God’s call out of the bondwoman, or out of the freewoman? Do you want to slog purely out of your own effort, or inherit the liberty that comes with your call?”
I know which is more blessed. We can work on an Ishmael, and still have some blessing. But I want to inherit an Isaac. I want to serve out of the liberty provided by the promises of God. I want to be more blessed.
Acts 16:6-10
Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6-10)
I heard a minister saying, “If the door is shut, kick it open.” If I remember correctly, he even demonstrated it. In contrast, Jesus said that if He opens, no one shuts …and if He shuts, no one opens (Revelation 3:7).
The Holy Spirit forbade the mission team to preach the word in Asia. The Holy Spirit did not permit them to enter Bithynia. It was explicit! O such sensitivity they had to the Holy Spirit!
Because some of us are chronic door bangers, the Holy Spirit is grieved and crying.
It’s funny I used the word `bangers’. Checking the Oxford dictionary, I found three meanings to the word `banger’:
1. sausage (a slang)
2. noisy old car (a slang)
3. firework designed to go bang.
Well, picture sausages. We look like sausages when we disobey the Holy Spirit.
We are noisy old cars who need constant repairs and upgrading, and you never know when you are breaking down …or burnt out …or breaking apart.
We are like firework designed to bang …fly up majestically and bang …and then it’s all over …like a shooting star which lights up for a few seconds …and then total darkness.
We are banging our heads against doors that God shuts …except that our heads are not feeling the pain …the Holy Spirit is feeling the pain of our disobedience.
We are a bunch of headbangers deafened by our own heavy metal music from our own crazy score sheet.
Note: “headbangers” are fans of heavy metal music (a slang).
We need to pause and listen.
We need to hear the cry of the Holy Spirit.
Have we forfeited the doors opened by Him because we are knocking on the doors shut by Him?
So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)
If Saul had waited for Samuel to arrive to conduct the burnt offerings; Saul wouldn’t have had lost the kingdom. Impatience is due to the fear of losing out. Impatience precedes disobedience.
Abraham carried the divine call to serve God’s purpose and plan. The call was to be passed on to the son of promise or the son whom God promised. Ishmael was the son of Hagar, a bondwoman. Isaac was the son of Sarah, a freewoman. Ishmael was the product of strive and slavery. Isaac was the promised freedom.
If Abraham had waited, Ishmael wouldn’t exist.
So I am prompted by this: “Do you want to serve God’s call out of the bondwoman, or out of the freewoman? Do you want to slog purely out of your own effort, or inherit the liberty that comes with your call?”
I know which is more blessed. We can work on an Ishmael, and still have some blessing. But I want to inherit an Isaac. I want to serve out of the liberty provided by the promises of God. I want to be more blessed.