Fear is one of the greatest enemies of the Spirit.

Why do people seek to suppress the moving of the Holy Ghost?

When we need the Spirit to move in depth and in Power more than ever before, why do we curtail it?

So many people today believe the true moving of the Spirit is being side-lined or only allowed with certain people in specified places.

The very implication that we would try to hinder or prevent what the Holy Spirit of God wants to do should strike absolute nerve shatters in us.

I cannot forget that the Holy Ghost actually killed two people in the early church for being dishonest.

This is not scare tactic as we have tried to use in days gone by, but an honest reminder that the Spirit is not something to trifle with.

There are many things that block the flow of the Spirit in our lives and our services. Most of them have to do with pride, ego and self-exaltation.

I do not attempt to speak as one with authority or all knowledge and my understanding is limited. But we once knew what that scripture meant, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit.”

How many remember when we could sense that?

There was such a heaviness that descended upon the congregation and yes, there was a fear that came over everyone.

All things came to an abrupt stop. Not only did we desire not to thwart the Spirit but we had an awe and reverence that said, “I dare not move, lest I offend.”

We knew very well we could offend the Spirit and we knew there would be consequences if we did.

But our consciences became hardened, our sensitivity waned and it just became easier.

Now I’m not in to screaming hell fire and brimstone and casting everybody into the pit who makes even one simple mistake. Serving God out of fear, only made us meaner.

However, I think we did have a much healthier fear or awe of God than we do now. Too often we’ve forgotten that The Fear of the LORD is the beginning of Wisdom.

We were taught to desire the Gifts of the Spirit and to seek after them. So, many of us did exactly that.

It was written in the scriptures and it was taught from behind the pulpit and in classes and seminars. To think that none of us seeking those things ever got them is ludicrous.

I think it’s actually borderlining on blasphemy. I wonder what we would say to the Holy Ghost if we could look face to face.

How would we explain that those who sought the gifts and obtained them were not allowed to use them; that what the Spirit had endued was being quenched or even prevented.

We need to be grateful for Grace. Otherwise, the Spirit would have dealt with some of us a long time ago, without mercy or favor.

The word “quench” can mean anything you want it to, but there is no doubt what it means here. We have so much sickness among us.

Because of this social medium, we know more about what’s going on with our friends and families then we ever did before. There are so many stories and prayer requests for unbelievable numbers who have cancer and other disorders and are sick and suffering and many are dying.

I don’t know about you, but it grieves me so much. It pulls at something in me that remembers that there is supposed to be a remedy for all of this.

So many homes are falling apart. Too many ministries are imploding and too many pews are powerless for us not to ask ourselves just what our problems really are.

For some of us, it would have almost seemed better if we could not remember when things were much different.

We do know better. If we have the Spirit as we say we do, the Spirit teaches us in a one on one relationship.

In fact, that partnership can be so strong and vibrant that even if the preacher, the deacon board and the rest of the whole bunch go astray and collapse, we will make it.

That will be because we made our salvation sure, not on man’s ability or precepts but because we know Him for ourselves. We know too much to stop the flow of the Spirit.

Those who sought Spiritual Gifts with the right spirit, got them. You can’t tell me they didn’t.

The Holy Spirit does not lie. If I am honest, I do not know what it is going to take for some of us to rise up.

It’s like our country. We’ve sat back so long with our arms folded until things have gotten in a pretty big mess.

What goes on in our churches is everybody’s business who is a member of the Body of Christ. Whatever the things are that we are lacking in is everyone’s concern.

I speak to Pastors in the fear of the LORD and as humbly as I know how asking, “What are you afraid of?”

• Is it fear that somebody is going to make a mistake?
• Are you afraid “wild fire” as we once called it will take over and everything will get out of control?
• Have you ever quenched the Spirit? I mean, for yourself?
• Haven’t you felt God lead you to move a certain way, but were fearful the people might resist, or you might make a fool out of yourself, or you might be wrong?
• How did you feel when you didn’t obey the Spirit?

Well, those saints sitting out there feel the same emptiness and disappointment when God has moved on them to prophesy, or give a message, or speak a word of wisdom, and they held back.

What are we all afraid of?

If it’s because we think people will think we’re foolish or extreme — and that’s understandable — but do we have any idea how they think about us, in that we claim to have gifts of healing and all the other wonderful moves of the Spirit and we are not producing what we say we have?

Somebody needs to get this in their head and mind. Cranking the music up, allowing people who are supposed to be preaching, to scream like crazy and keep the people standing and jumping, is not going to cover up our lack of power.

To continue to call things ‘anointed’ that are not, will not only make us even more powerless, but it will sooner or later bring the judgment of God upon us.

You know, we assume that all the world is totally ignorant about the Spirit. Even those who have never truly known the LORD, as we say we do know many of us are putting on a big show and that there’s not a lot of depth to it.

How do they know? Because they have done the same thing themselves.

The basic difference is that they do not claim what we do. They can do what some of us do without it.

They can recognize the true anointing, because there is not anything else out there like it.

Unknown to us, they can spot a ruse a mile away. And truthfully, many of them are waiting to see if we are ever going to get it together. They know about control issues. They use them well.

Don’t quench the Spirit. Just don’t. Listen! The Holy Ghost did not give you gifts for you to be sitting there with them in your pocket and not using them!

Stand up. You think this thing is not going into the streets, but you may be wrong.

If something does not change soon in our fellowships and houses of worship, people are going to be standing on the street corners prophesying in the name of the LORD Jesus Christ and administering the gifts God has given to them.

We don’t have another 100 years to get ourselves prepared to administer these gifts.

We can’t wait another generation for more unbelievers or control figures to die off so we can go on over into the promises that have been made to us.

Do you know, a rock, a stone is going to replace me if I don’t cry out or do everything I can to do what I can?

What are we waiting for?

It’s fear. Just one time, would we all rise together with one massive voice and rebuke that fear in the name of Jesus Christ and loose our people to move in the Spirit as they have been led to do.

Our lives may depend upon on it. Mine does!

First published December 12, 2011.

 

~ Robert Blackburn

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Robert Blackburn

 

 

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