Seriously Flawed

Now I have done much writing on one's character. And everyone has some kind of character. And generally the worst of one's character is generally on the forefront of another's remembrance of that "bad" character.
In my youth, I remember people being remembered for their "bad" character. Those who would see the "bad" character walking down the sidewalk, would not even give said person a nod toward their direction if they ("bad") had left their wife for another woman, or who had abandoned their children with no one to care for them, or even worse, they just did not hold a job! And today, people are still regarded for their character: good or bad! I remember those who could not hold a job. In fact I probably had their names memorized by the time I was ten years old. For "bad" character would be spoke about and I would file their name away for use at later date! YIKES!
Yet when we look at the New Testament and Jesus with His disciples, character did not seem so paramount to Him.
Looking at say the chapters of 9 and 10 in the book of Luke, we find Jesus releasing power and authority over them, the disciples as well as some 70 others.

Luke 9:1-5
9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them." 6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.    NKJV

Luke 10:17-20

17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 18 And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."   NKJV

Yes, seventy had returned. They returned with joy. But Jesus told them not to rejoice in the having authority and power over the enemy but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

Yes, with growth........that growing up into the mature will take some character and the amount of trust in God for the power and authority He has given us.

Many people today have trust in their own power. And they wield it however they desire the outcome to be. We saw this with the 12 disciples. They were overwhelmed with power when they came back from teaching and preaching in their own towns and cities. And we later saw one as the devil himself, and one we saw deny Jesus, and the other two mentioned, wanted to bring fire down from heaven. Yes indeed, James and John wanted to kill an entire city of the Samaritans.

In looking at Ephesians 4:30, we are told to not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. In regard to Ephesians 4 and reading we find a lot about corrupt words.

Ephesians 4:29-32

29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.  NKJV

So, would James and John on speaking about the Samaritans, brought about the necessary edification? NO!

So in evil speaking of another, the Holy Spirit of God is grieved. Then a list of things that grieve: like bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking.

Anyone have a problem with anger? You know you go along for awhile, possibly years and then one day, that "anger" button is pushed and we have to find what triggered that release of anger!

John 15:9-12

9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. NKJV

John 16:7-15

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (the Holy Spirit of God)  will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.  NKJV

1 Thessalonians 5:15-22

15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.  NKJV

We desire for the Holy Spirit to remain with us, as He did with Jesus. And from the above scripture we find, we are not to render evil for evil to any. We are to pursue what is good both for ourselves and for all. Rejoicing always, to pray without ceasing, giving thanks that is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us and we are not to quench the Spirit of God. We are not to despise the prophetic word given, holding fast to the "good" and to abstain from every form of evil. 

Although ministering to others is important. It is not as important as our "relationship" with the Spirit of God. Jesus always referred back to the Father. And Jesus was yielded to the Father's instruction. 

In my belief of His Word and my time of abiding in His love, I am always brought to His regal beauty. In regard to that beauty I always think how wonderful it would be if people all over the world would think on God and what He created. Spend time reading of the beauty of heaven and that He has prepared a place for us who believe. 

Revelatiion 22:1-5................22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. NKJV)

Revelations 21:2-8

2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." 6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."   NKJV

For to us who believe, for them who abide, this city exists and it is seen today with spiritual eyes. For our God is Spirit. And the Word He gave us is Spirit and True. For He is also the Faithful. He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He has freely given the fountain of the water of life to him who thirsts. In overcoming we will inherit all things.

To overcome, we will not tolerate sin. We will not try to get along with less anger, or be those who can not and will not take instruction.

Galatians 5:13-26

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! 

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.  NKJV

If we grieve the Holy Spirit, then we have no power, and whether our character is the good or the bad will not matter anyway, or will it?
Not grieving Him will look like kindness to others, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, joy and yes, peace! It is not provoking others or envying others.

To have the Spirit of God, is to have the same as Jesus had. Our conduct is how our character will react in situations or problems. Our power is to be in that same power that raised Jesus from the dead. And the completion of this is knowing the Father. Abiding as the "family" and knowing truth is vital to moving out of the seriously flawed  and into His plan. We truly can make mistakes, but when we first talk with our Father through His Son Jesus, we make the request of how we can move through this life and speak or make our boast in HIM!

The only way today to discern good or evil is not by watching the news at night. The best way is found in Hebrews 5:14........ 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  NKJV

Those trained by God's instruction are those who will discern the false, the counterfeit. But if we have no time to give to our Father, how can He tell us the things that are to come to us?

Yes, the decision is yours. I made mine and I will continue to abide. Instruction is good. And His power along with my willing to "not grieve the Holy Spirit" of God will prove to be to my advantage. I choose not to be taken in by the devil when the greatest days are ahead in the culmination of God's harvest. Come on and go with me, and let's make His Name great.

Malachi 1:11
1 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations,"
Says the LORD of hosts.   NKJV

Amen!


You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV