John 7:17… If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  (NKJV)

Understanding and living by God’s will, requires a major change in our mind, our life, and our own will…  We are all born with the natural tendency to sin (our sin nature), that has been the downfall of humans ever since the first sin committed by Adam and Eve…Romans 5:12… We are programmed to want to do our will, which often coincides with Satan; and is usually opposite to what God’s will is for our lives…John 8:44a… You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  (NKJV)

The only way to be forgiven of a lifetime of sins, is to repent of them; which requires our mind to turn from our evil ways, and to seek God’s will and God’s ways… Repenting of our past sins is a major part of being forgiven of them by God; and must be done along with turning from our sinful ways, to seek Jesus Christ to become our personal Lord, our Master, and our Savior…  This is known as obeying the gospel of Christ, and I would direct anyone who wants to know more about this, to this day’s writing on the gospel found at this link… https://www.facebook.com/notes/gods-group/gods-group-thoughts-for-5242012-what-is-the-gospel-of-christ-/10150818497301437

But once we become a Christian in God’s eyes, it is the Holy Spirit that God has given to His children, that must be listened to, and obeyed at all times…Philippians 2:13… for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  (NKJV)  …As I wrote a couple days ago, we as Christian’s will have a lifelong struggle with our flesh trying to take back control from the Holy Spirit…Galatians 5:16-18…

As Christian’s, every time we sin we will be grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)… He is constantly trying to guide us with God’s will; and our flesh will be constantly trying to fulfill those sinful (often pleasurable) lusts of the flesh, that the apostle John tells us we should turn from as Christian’s (1 John 2:15-16)…  Our body is just a vessel, and we are to remain filled to overflowing with living water (the Holy Spirit)…John 7:38… “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  (NKJV)

I was speaking to my Lil Sis the other day, who told me about a dream she had that I can use to paint a word picture about all of us Christian’s, who have lost our outpouring of living water…  If we consider ourselves to be an old fashioned pump…and we are being constantly primed (fed as Jesus tells us we must be, by God’s Word – Matthew 4:4)…we will be pumping absolutely pure living water as God’s obedient servant…

But for any number of reasons…if we stop being primed by reading God’s Word…or we were never really discipled after we became Christian’s; and told about this absolutely important part that is necessary to remain Spirit filled…we (a pump God is using to honor and glorify Himself), will not only stop pumping pure living water…we will dry up; and then even rust up, in our backslidden, Holy Spirit grieving state…

Our handle will be pumped on Sunday’s, and there will be no pure water…  We may even try to spend time in the Word during the week, and still our pump is dry as a bone…  Depending on our state of backsliding; and how long we are left in this sad state of grieving the Holy Spirit…it may take multiple days of prayers, and repentance, and earnest time in God’s Word…before our pump is re-primed and we are again pumping an abundant supply of pure living water… The idea is to not quit in our efforts to become Spirit filled again, until God believes we are sorry for grieving the Holy Spirit; and He forgives us and brings us back into alignment with His will…

This reminds me of a lengthy sermon done by the REV. C. H. Spurgeon back in 1859, titled “Grieving the Holy Spirit”…   Here is the link for the entire sermon, but the attachment above reveals a small piece of how this man of God discusses becoming Spirit filled again…  http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0278.htm

God wants us to become Christian’s; and then to live for Him by keeping Him first in our lives…by spending time in the Word to feed our souls…to become part of a church body, using our spiritual gift or gifts that God gives to all of His children…and to be in a constant state of growing in spiritual wisdom, knowledge and maturity… When we are living in God’s will and God’s ways…God will be free to bless His obedient children, like we are told over and over in the Bible… All we have to do is prime the pump, and then never let it stop producing rivers of living water…

Heavenly Father, I pray Your Word would start the pump handle of those children that have let their pump run dry…  I pray Lord, that all can see how important it is to align themselves with Your will and Your ways…and that in doing so, the blessings You will provide will far outweigh any gains the world and it’s lusts could possibly offer… I pray for this absolute joy and peace that only You can provide though the full power of the Holy Spirit…working to keep Your children tucked safely under Your wing… I pray Lord, for this Spiritual filling for all of us…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

written by bruce r mills