| Author |
Message |
Indy4now
Registered user
Username: Indy4now
Post Number: 707
Registered: 2-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, August 09, 2009 - 9:48 pm: |     |
OK... it's past midnight in my time zone but I just couldn't help posting the conclusion of one of the sermons that Spurgeon wrote. (again, this is from the book "What the Holy Spirit Does in a Believer's Life")on page 56-57.
quote:Honor the Spirit of God as you would honor Jesus Christ if He were present. If Jesus Christ were dwelling in your house, you would not ignore Him, you would not go about your business as if He were not there. Do not ignore the presence of the Holy Ghost in your soul. Give constant adoration to Him. Reverence the august Guest who has been pleased to make your body His sacred abode. Love Him, obey Him, worship Him.
Take care to never impute the vain imaginings of your fancy to Him. I have seen the Spirit of God shamefully dishonored by persons who said that they have had this and that revealed to them. For the past several years, not a single week has passed in which I have not been pestered with the revelations of hypocrites and very strange sorts of people. These people are very fond of coming with messages from the Lord to me, and it may spare them some trouble if I tell them once for all that I have nothing to do with their stupid messages. When my Lord and Master has any message to me, He knows where I am, and He will send it to me direct. Never dream that events are revealed to you by heaven, or you may come to be like those idiots who dare impute their blatant follies to the Holy Ghost. If you feel your tongue itch to talk nonsense, trace it to the devil, not to the Spirit of God. Whatever is to be revealed by the Spirit to any of us is in the Word of God already - the Spirit of God adds nothing to the Bible, and never will. Let persons who have revelations of this, that, and the other go to bed and wake up in their senses. I only wish they would no longer insult the Holy Ghost by laying their nonsense at His door.
At the same time, since the Holy Spirit is with you, in all your learning, ask Him to teach you; in all your suffering, ask Him to sustain you; in all your teaching, ask Him to give you the right words; in all your witnessing, ask Him to give you constant wisdom; and in all service, depend upon Him for His help. Believingly depend upon the Holy Spirit. We seldom take Him in our calculations as we should. We add up so many missionaries, so much money, and so many schools, and so conclude the list of our forces. The Holy spirit is our great need, not learning or culure. Little knowledge, or great knowledge, shall answer almost as well if the Spirit of God is there; but all your knowledge shall be worthless without Him. Let the Spirit of God come, and what a difference He brings. You have a Sunday school class that you feel unable to teach; ask Him to help you, and you may be surprised how well you will teach. You are asked to preach but feel you cannot; bring the Holy Spirit into it, and if He fires you, you shall find even the slender materials you have collected will set the people ablaze. We should count upon the Spirit; He is our main and only force, and we grieve Him exceedingly when we do not depend upon Him. Love the Spirit, worship the Spirit, trust the Spirit, obey the Spirit, and as a church, cry mightily to the Spirit. Beseech Him to let His mighty power be known and felt among you. The Lord fire your hearts with the sacred flame that made Pentecost stand out from all other days. Come, Holy Spirit now! You are with us, but come with power and let us feel Your sacred might.
After reading that second paragraph I wondered if EGW ever approached Spurgeon! I especially love this last paragraph... I know personally that I've ignored the Holy Spirit. Even though He has been with me, I certainly have not given Him the honor I should have... I have repented of that.
What are your thoughts about this quote?
vivian |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 10211
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, August 09, 2009 - 10:33 pm: | |
Vivian, what a wonderful quote! That last paragraph is so powerful and true. And I agree with his thoughts about people attributing their own imaginings and foolishness to the Holy Spirit. That is disrespectful and irreverent.
I agree wholeheartedly with Spurgeon that the Holy Spirit actually transforms and empowers our most difficult assignments. And as for "words from the Lord": I heard one charismatic pastor say once that God will never give you a message through someone else that He is not already dealing with in you. If people say things to you and their words are from God, they will be confirming what God is already teaching you Himself. I thought that was pretty powerful coming from a charismatic preacher!
Thank you for the quote, Vivian.
Colleen |
Bb
Registered user
Username: Bb
Post Number: 501
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 4:12 am: | |
That is awesome, vivian! The second paragraph is so true to his times, the frenzy of people having visions and "hearing" from God. I love how he calls it "nonsense" and "blatant follies". She very well could have gone to him with her revelations. It's sad that most people were not encouraged in those supposed "visions", but egw was... |
8thday
Registered user
Username: 8thday
Post Number: 1121
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 6:45 am: | |
Yes I love the last paragraph especially and this is my prayer and desire for the church I am in now. I have been praying for this with someone else, with very little faith I am ashamed to admit. But God is moving and I am seeing some amazing changes take place. |
Skeeter
Registered user
Username: Skeeter
Post Number: 193
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 8:42 am: | |
WOW ! Very powerful !
The second paragraph sounds like he was speaking directly to Ellen White.. Since they lived during the same time period, and she traveled extensively,, I wonder if they ever crossed paths, and if she ever did contact him with any of her "imaginings". Does anyone know if there is anything written anywhere about EGW and Spurgeon communicating at all ? |
Hec
Registered user
Username: Hec
Post Number: 421
Registered: 3-2009
| | Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 11:49 am: | |
Colleen says:
quote:I heard one charismatic pastor say once that God will never give you a message through someone else that He is not already dealing with in you. If people say things to you and their words are from God, they will be confirming what God is already teaching you Himself.
I guess that disqualifies the "Testimonies."
Hec |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 10219
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 2:24 pm: | |
True enough, Hec!!
Colleen |
Indy4now
Registered user
Username: Indy4now
Post Number: 709
Registered: 2-2008
| | Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 8:46 pm: | |
Hec... I had that same thought! |
Pegg
Registered user
Username: Pegg
Post Number: 186
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 - 5:55 pm: | |
quote:At the same time, since the Holy Spirit is with you, in all your learning, ask Him to teach you; in all your suffering, ask Him to sustain you; in all your teaching, ask Him to give you the right words; in all your witnessing, ask Him to give you constant wisdom; and in all service, depend upon Him for His help. Believingly depend upon the Holy Spirit. We seldom take Him in our calculations as we should. We add up so many missionaries, so much money, and so many schools, and so conclude the list of our forces. The Holy spirit is our great need, not learning or culure. Little knowledge, or great knowledge, shall answer almost as well if the Spirit of God is there; but all your knowledge shall be worthless without Him. Let the Spirit of God come, and what a difference He brings. You have a Sunday school class that you feel unable to teach; ask Him to help you, and you may be surprised how well you will teach. You are asked to preach but feel you cannot; bring the Holy Spirit into it, and if He fires you, you shall find even the slender materials you have collected will set the people ablaze. We should count upon the Spirit; He is our main and only force, and we grieve Him exceedingly when we do not depend upon Him. Love the Spirit, worship the Spirit, trust the Spirit, obey the Spirit, and as a church, cry mightily to the Spirit. Beseech Him to let His mighty power be known and felt among you. The Lord fire your hearts with the sacred flame that made Pentecost stand out from all other days. Come, Holy Spirit now! You are with us, but come with power and let us feel Your sacred might
Jesus said, "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
John 16:7-15
Praise Our Amazing Savior!
Pegg |
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