stifling the spirit (1 thes 5:19)
"After beginning in the Spirit, are you now to end in the flesh?" —Galatians 3:3
Approximately one billion people on the earth have received the Holy Spirit. This may come as a surprise because you'd think the world would be in better shape with all these "Spirit-filled" people. Nonetheless, just because a billion have received the Holy Spirit does not mean they are living in the Spirit.
Many of the billion have stifled the Spirit by yielding to the flesh (Gal 5:17). Like Esau, too many of us have sold our birthright — life in the Spirit — for petty, selfish pleasures (Gn 25:33-34). We've fallen into the temptation of depending on worldly things instead of on Jesus. We have thereby denied Him as our only Lord and Savior (Jude 4). We have gone out of our minds (Gal 3:1) and no longer recognize Jesus as the only One Who died on the cross for us and rose from the dead.
Jesus is Life (Jn 14:6; Phil 1:21). Everything is rated as loss in His light (Phil 3:8). When we recommit our lives to Jesus, He will stir up the Spirit in our lives (2 Tm 1:6).
Prayer: "To the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, be praise and honor, glory and might, forever and ever!" (Rv 5:13)
Promise: "If you, with all your sins, know how to give your children good things, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him." —Lk 11:13
Praise: Marcia is in her eighties, and still prays instantly with whoever asks her for prayer. Numerous times, God has answered her prayers by the end of the same day.
Reference: (To grow in the Holy Spirit, read the Bible every day. We have several tape series to help you. Overview of the Bible is six audio tapes starting with AV 10A-1 or three video tapes starting with V-10A. 15-minute Bible Teaching - New Testament is forty audio tapes starting with #700. An Introduction to each Book of the Bible is 32 audio tapes starting with AV 21-1 or 17 video tapes starting with V-21.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 10, 2012
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