I have to be honest with you I’ve been struggling about something for two days and nights. I’ll get to that in a moment. But let me ask this question. If God showed up where you were praying would you know it was him? Would you be afraid? Would you acknowledge him, or ignore him? Would you explain him away or would you embrace him?
If God spoke to you in His language, a language you can’t comprehend and no way have you understood, but He, the Living God is talking to you in His language, what would you do? Would you interrupt him and say, “Ah, God I don’t know what you’re saying. Don’t talk to me that way, it just doesn’t make any sense.” But God says, “It’s OK I’ve brought an interpreter, just listen. There are unbelievers here and I want them to know it’s me speaking, not you.”
We can’t but God in a box. We can’t tell the one who created everything, even language that what He’s saying doesn’t make sense and therefore it must not be real.
We, the ones living at this moment in history, maybe have about, seventy years, some more, some less, that we are going to tell the ancient of age we know more than he does therefore, what we say is more important and what we think is the truth, and what God thinks is irrelevant?
The Bible has been around longer than we’ve been alive, yet we in our finite minds are going to interpret what we think it means and tell others that what God said is not what God meant? How ludicrous is that?
My heart is grieved…not only mine, but the Holy Spirit is grieved…
The scripture that keeps rolling over and over in my mind is this…
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29 King James Version (KJV)
When you know, that you know, that you know, God is speaking to you but you have to hold back because someone in authority over you has said you cannot do what you know…What will you do? Will you obey God? Even at the risk of being ridiculed?
The freedom to move freely in the Spirit is quenched…how can we do that? How can we ask God to show up, we welcome his Spirit into our midst but then we tie his hands and put duct tape over his mouth…how can we expect miracles and manifestations of the Spirit when we don’t allow him to move freely in our midst? All because we think it will offend someone? Or scare someone off? Where is our faith? Are we serving God or man?
God does things with decency and in order…He doesn’t fit into our mindset or our programs…if we say we want God to move then we must get out of the way and let him do what he wants to do. Is God truly welcome, or are there too many house rules for God to even get in the door?
When Jesus preached on the mountain sides and in the Temple he didn’t ask permission, he walked in obedience to His Father…and he taught his disciples the same way…
He walked among multitudes…that’s thousands of people…and when he was getting ready to leave this earth after the resurrection he told his disciples, his mother with them to go and wait in Jerusalem until they receive the promise of the other comforter(Holy Spirit) to fill them and they did…I don’t think they had any idea what was going to happen that day, but it says that the sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the place where they were and tongues of fire were on each one and they spoke in different languages…do you think God was worried it was going to offend someone or scare them off? No…it was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit…what power, this was different from anything they had ever experienced before… it changed the whole dynamic of their walk with the Lord…They not only received power, they received a whole different way of communicating with God and now the Spirit of God would be in them…teaching them, talking to them, showing them how to hear his voice on the inside…Don’t limit God!
I cannot shut up the Spirit of God within me…I will not do it…For it is, better, to obey God than man…now don’t get me wrong, I will use wisdom and discernment…I’m mature enough to know when it’s God and when it’s not…that’s where teaching comes in…
Peter and John and Paul, Matthew, and Luke, all the others, and women too, these New Testament people were persecuted for letting God show up and move through them…even to the point of death. How can we today, knowing what we know, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, sit back and hold back what God has loosed us from and let someone tell us we can’t use what God has freely given us, power in His name, and a helper and a deliverer, it is the anointing that destroys yokes of bondage…how can we stifle him, keep him silent? God doesn’t work that way…He said open your mouth and I will fill it…He said, out of your belly will flow rivers of living water. You can’t hold back a dam when the doors are opened no more than you can hold back the Spirit of God when he wants to move…if you do, He will not stay where he is not wanted…
If we say we love God and want to serve him then we must obey God…
I will obey God! I love him too much, not too…
–Marla Shaw O’Neill May 23, 2017
Acts 5:20-33King James Version (KJV)
20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told,
23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straightly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
