Quenching the Holy Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.  See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise (look down with contempt) prophecies.  Test all things; hold fast what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil.

Guard Against Dwindling the Fires of Revival.  Revival (rebirth, regeneration) fires wane for various reasons.  Sometimes the purposes of God have been fulfilled as believes and have been quickened to evangelism, and new outreaches have been birthed and carried out.  Other times, genuine revival can be cut short and the fire of the Holy Spirit quenched through unrealized compromise.  True spiritual fires dwindle…………

1. When we allow the excitement of the crowds and miracles to dull our ears to hearing the foundational truths of the Holy Spirit counsel.
2. When we look to the visitation of the Spirit to shore up weaknesses in the local fellowship rather than correct problems.
3. When we allow an attitude of pride and showmanship to distort the simplicity of God’s workings, and the visitation is reduced to a cleverly publicized event.
4. When we fail to maintain the balance of the pastoral needs of the congregation, substituting the sheer energy of the meetings for shepherd care and faithful feeding of the sheep.
5. When we neglect to make disciples, who would have multiplied the effectiveness of the revival.
6. When we allow breakdown of authority and unity in the leadership team through prayerlessness, weariness, or functioning outside the boundaries of individual’s gifting’s.
7. When we look to “professionals” to further the growth of the church instead of fostering the release of ministries that have bonded to the life and value system of the congregation.
8. When we lose the focus and object of loving worship by using “worship” as a means of stimulating desired responses in people.
9. When we allow the “busyness, distractions, and excitement” of revival to take priority over the vigilance in humble prayer and intercession.
10. When we see revival as way to advance a private local “kingdom” (congregation), rather than to benefit the whole body of Jesus Christ.

We can’t wait for the church to produce revival.  Revival needs to be and must start in the hearts of each individual.  Otherwise, revival will not happen.

What is causing the Holy Spirit to be quenched in the individual believer? 

It is not as complicated as you may think. Galatians 5:17 tells us it is the flesh, “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”.  The flesh is this sinful world that includes iniquities (generational wickedness Isaiah 65:7) and trespasses (things we do even though we know it is wrong James 4:17).  The Bible tells us how the flesh manifests in us in Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 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.

The flesh (sin) causes distractions, causes us to lust after the things of this world, to partake in the pride of life, and most importantly, causes damage to the soul that results in sickness and disease.  Why sickness and disease?  Because we choose to buy into those things that affect the soul such as unloving, offenses, un-forgiveness, betrayals, rejections, fears, hurts, anger, depression, envy, jealousy, unbelief, self-pity, and many more that have occurred throughout our lives.  This is all sin and it compromises our health.  Sickness and disease is a result of disobedience as outlined in Deuteronomy 28:15-68.  Sin, sickness, and disease takes us away from having a relationship with God.  It causes to us to reside in darkness where we can’t see or hear spiritually from God to a point where we are in captivity.  This captivity and darkness quenches the Holy Spirit that dwells in you (Romans 8:11).  All this can dominate your life.

Paul who openly acknowledged a personal struggle with his sin nature: “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal (of fleshly desires that run contrary to God), sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.  But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.  For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.  Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.  I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.  For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death”? Romans 7:14-24.  All believers struggle with our propensity to sin.

So how can we walk in the spirit (Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh) if we are walking in the flesh?  How can we battle in heavenly places if we are walking in the flesh?  The battle is taking place in the spirit world and few are prepared and equipped.  (Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places). 

We can’t afford to walk in the flesh and quench the Holy Spirit.  We will be defeated if we don’t rely on the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, let the Spirit dwell in you so that we may receive life, Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

We all have the authority to bring healing in the name of Jesus to all that are suffering, but we continue to do the same things that are not effective.  How can we be overcomers if we are not taught how to overcome?  The keys to God’s kingdom are there for the taking (Matthew 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”). It may be outside the box of conventional teaching, but not outside God’s box.                                                                                                                                                Tony Sanchez 7-27-17

Praise and Worship

Music is a large part of our culture.  Music existed from the very beginning of time when God Himself created music to worship Him.  In Job 38:4-7, God speaks of when he “laid the foundations of the earth…When the morning stars sang together.”  Ezekiel 28:13 says of Lucifer “The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.”  Lucifer had been an anointed cherub with immense musical ability.  But Lucifer wanted to be like the Most High.  He has devised many close counterfeits of God’s truth.  One of his most subtle perversions has been to corrupt God’s music.  He does not want anyone else to be a chief musician or have music that praises and worships God.  You can understand why Satan tries to bring down people in the music ministry.

God’s music will bring life and health to the body, soul, and spirit.

Isaiah 12:2 sums it up “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song.”  In 1 Samuel 16:23 it says “And so it was, whenever the spirit (of distress) from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.”  Satan’s music, on the contrary, seeks to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10).

God’s music will emphasize the melody, not the harmony or rhythm.

Ephesians 5:18-19 says, “but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”  Isaiah 23:16 tells us to “Make sweet melody, sing many songs.”  There are three parts in a musical composition: the melody, the harmony, and the rhythm.  Melody is the essence of music.  The melody carries and reinforces the words; therefore, God’s music will emphasize the melody and its words, not the harmony or the rhythm. The word “music” comes from the word “muse” which means to “think.”  A song’s words make us think; too much harmony can distract from this.  A loud dominant rhythm sets the flesh moving, which in some cases can feed our fleshly nature.

The devil’s music emphasizes a loud, hypnotic rhythm, and has little melody and very little meaning.  It feeds the flesh and not the spirit.  Many of the secular songs out there have beat of the Shaman which has a trance effect on the mind.

God’s music will contain scripture references that teach and admonish (Reprimand Gently).

Christian music is not entertainment.  Christian music is spiritual “food.”  The book of Psalm 98:4 says to “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.”    Colossians 3:16 says to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”  A Christian musician should be a student of the Word of God!  Young people today can quote the lyrics of contemporary Christian music, but often cannot quote the Holy Bible. 

Much of contemporary Christian music omits the Lord, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, and God with pronouns such as “he,” “him,” or “you.”  How can anyone writing God’s songs omit Jesus, Holy Spirit, and God?

God’s music will be spiritual, not sensual.

Ephesians 5:18-19 equates walking in the Spirit with singing spiritual songs.  It says, “but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”  A Christian is born again of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:15 says, “I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with understanding.”   Therefore, Christian music should feed the spirit, not the flesh.  The Sprit and the flesh are contrary and opposite (Galatians 5:17 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).  God’s music will give us things to understand and think about that are pure and godly. 

Godly music will praise God, and not draw attention to the singer.

Hymns are about HIM!   Psalm 28:7 tells us, “And with my song I will praise Him.”  Psalm 66:2 Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.  Praise redirects our thinking to God’s power and not our circumstances.

On the other hand, the devil’s music will redirect the worship to man (or false gods), and not to the Lord.  You can hear the audience at a concert practically worshipping the singer.  John 12:43 says to such things, “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”  Have you ever felt in your spirit, a member or leader of a praise group was just putting on a show? The song can at times be almost irrelevant lacking the presence of the Holy Spirit.  The focus is on the person and songs have become performance driven, rather than a message.  Christians are to draw attention to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, not to themselves.

God’s music will be sung and played by Christians who live by the book.

In the Bible, God did not allow just anybody to be his musicians.  When He chose his musicians in the Old Testament, he specifically chose the Levites, who were separated for the service of the sanctuary.  The priests were also chosen from the Levites.  1 Chronicles 15:16 tells us “Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy.”  We cannot choose ourselves to be in the music ministry.  You must be chosen by God.

Music is an expression of the heart.  Beautiful voices are a “dime a dozen,” but beautiful hearts have the Holy Spirit within and are more precious than gold.  Your music, singing, and worship must be led by the Holy Spirit and it must praise God.

The most important part of the service is praise and worship.  It allows the congregation to praise and worship God, to thank God and His Son who died on the cross for our sins, to sing in the spirit, to surrender, to petition the Lord, to confess sin, to ask for forgiveness, to forgive others and self, to come to the altar, for healing, for deliverance, and so much more. Praise and worship is not a time to come late or have ongoing conversations during this time. 

Why is this time of the service so neglected?  Why is the altar during praise and worship devoid of believers who are struggling and in trouble?

It is my position that pastors, music leaders, and the congregation should prepare ourselves by inviting the Holy Spirit into the presence of the congregation and to submit to the direction of the Holy Spirit in our praise and worship.  Believers are under the misconception that the Holy Spirit automatically shows up. Understand, the Holy Spirit can show up whenever He wants and He does in parts of the congregation, but I don’t see that happening in the congregation as a whole in the many churches I have visited.

I know this promise from God’s Word, if we call the Holy Spirit, He will answer us.  I can say without a doubt, if you call on the Holy Spirit with the congregation, the praise/worship and the service will be magnified like you have never seen before.

Psalm 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

Psalms 86:7 In the time of trouble, I will call upon you, for you will answer me.

Psalms 91:15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

Luke 11:13…. how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Blessings to you all, Tony Sanchez, revised 7/15/17

7 Steps to Sin

 There is a place of rest for the people of God, but they do not rest because of unbelief or because of getting out ahead of God by fighting their own enemies themselves.  There’s a time to defeat the enemy, but there must be a time of preparation before you take your enemy on.  Before you can defeat sin, you need to understand what is occurring within you.  And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts.  Mark 7:20-21.  So, when you have committed a sin, (and when haven’t you?), this is a reality to set you free.

 There are seven steps to a completed sin.

 

1. Temptation – The first step to sin is temptation.  Temptation is the thought of evil.  Temptation comes in the form of thoughts without exception!  No matter what the sin is, it starts as part of your thinking process.  It can be so strong that it feels as if it has already happened. At times, it can be so overpowering.   Many people sin simply because they had the thought of sin and they therefore think they have sinned already, so they go ahead and actually sin.

 Temptation is not sin.  You do not have to sin just because you feel like doing it.  With temptation, there is always something within us that has nothing to do with anyone else.  But, there may be temptation or evil in another person that hooks up with the temptation or evil in you and the two, start working against each other so both people fall.

Lust is not just a sexual thing.  Even if temptation involves a simple a thing as having a disagreement with your brother or sister in the Lord, the process of lust is there.  Lust includes everything.  We have many examples about lust.  1 Corinthians 10:6 says: Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

 Lusting over evil things includes exalting ourselves over another in every area of our existence, whether from jealousy or envy or bitterness or hatred or whatever.  Your self-exaltation and self-fulfillment is idolatry and pride.  You are king, everything revolves around, and your faith is all about you. Satan has stolen your faith because whatever is not Godly faith is sin.  But without faith it is impossible to please Him.  Hebrews 11:6. 

Every problem and every temptation you have already exists within your spiritual makeup.  Satan comes with his kingdom to exploit your weakness.  You could have a thousand temptations, but there is always at least few or more that you are going to fall into.  Satan will always work on you at your weakest link.  Most of your trials, tribulations, and temptations are already spiritual problems in your life.

 

Job was perfect in a lot of ways, yet he had weaknesses.  He was full of pride and fear.  He tried to be God over his family, making sacrifices for his children.  The thing he feared most came upon him, For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me Job 3:25

There is incorrect teaching that says that when you are tempted, it is God’s way of teaching you something.  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone James 1:13.  Everything that is going on, as a temptation in you, is common in the world, No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

You can quit praying for God to remove the temptation, because He wants you to defeat it.  He will make provision for you so you can overcome.  It has to be dealt with because it comes from within and is already in place and already a problem.  The difference between “defeat” and “resist” is this: “defeat” is permanent; “resist” indicates there is still a battle taking place.

God wants you to defeat temptation because, in the day you don’t, it becomes your sin and you are fellowshipping with devils, Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 1 Corinthians 10:20.

All evil in mankind comes from within the heart of a man, woman or child, And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, Mark 7:20-21.

 Jesus was tempted continuously, just as we are, For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15. Every demon of hell was looking for Jesus to trip up so they could have a legal right to come into His Spirit and cause Him to become sinful.  Once we succumb to temptation leading to sin, the enemy has a legal right to work in us.  Satan personally tempted Jesus at the highest level possible.

 There is a blessing in the midst of temptation, Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12. Every temptation you face is an open door to God’s blessing.  Every trial you overcome is a stepping-stone to victory.

2. Being Drawn Away – We become preoccupied with a thought.  To be drawn away is to have a strong imagination about a temptation, to start to view it and to let your mind be drawn to it.  At this stage, sin is starting to form a reality in you.  It is not just an idle thought; it is starting to take form.  Being drawn away is still not sin.

3. Personal Lust – This is the forming of the sin, But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires (lust) and enticed. James 1:14. You have a strong imagination and you start to take pleasure in watching what is in your mind and in your thoughts.  It is no longer an idle thought.  First you had the thought and then you had the strong imagination.  Next you sit back and turn your mind’s TV on and start to take pleasure in watching what is in your mind and your thoughts.  This is still not sin.  It is an evil spirit integrating itself with you and you are starting to weaken and fall into agreement with it simply because you are entertaining the thoughts.

An evil spirit is like a projector; it projects images in you because of its nature and it wants to fulfill its nature and make you a sinner in that area.  You think it is you because you have fallen into agreement and started becoming one with it, which is the process of you becoming prepared to sin.

4.  Enticement – The forth step to sin is enticement.  Enticement is the weakening of the will.  You can have every feeling and seemingly enjoyment of a lustful thought in any area of your life.  The object is to weaken your will because Satan wants you to act it out.  The ploy is to get you to start weakening, to get you to yield your will to what the temptation is. If Satan can break down to a point where you are no longer resisting him, then he has you in motion to commit a sin, ...Resist the devil and he will flee from you  James 4:7.

 5.  Lust Conceived – You cannot have sin until you have lust conceived.  Lust conceived is the birthing of something not in place yet.  The entire weakening of the will is occurring and you are about to come into agreement with it so it can be birthed within you.  It is also a yielding.  Lust conceived is the entrance into the physical of what is spiritual.  At this stage, it is very difficult not to sin because your total will has yielded to what the temptation represents.

6.  Actual Sin – There are many people who say something with their hearts but not with their mouths.  They still have a completed sin in their heart because they are one with it and in full agreement with it.  It is your choice to reject a thought or dwell on it, But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28. Any person in agreement with a thought in his or her heart will eventually act on that thought.

 7.  The Consequences of Sin – The results and consequences of sin is death, Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death James 1:15.  Sin not repented for brings spiritual and physical death.  It opens the door to curses in your spirit, soul and physical body.  It opens the door for sin to rule you, to reign in you, to destroy you, and to have dominion over you.  Unless it is repented for, dealt with, and cast out, it will be continually there to tempt you until you are destroyed.

 If a person has fasted prayed, cried out to God and done everything they could to get rid of a sin, but they keep doing it, they need deliverance because it is no longer just temptation, it is an evil spirit tormenting your soul.

When temptation comes, you can now see the process.  You can find yourself in the seven steps so you will recognize temptation is not sin.  You can start dealing with Satan and your adversaries according to the knowledge of God.  Seek God, His Word (Jesus), the Helper, and fellow believers who can come to your aid in the name of Jesus Christ.

Casting down imaginations (and temptations), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV.

 Prayer:  Father God, we thank You and we thank You for Your Word.  God, I trust that this teaching has set things in place to assist us in becoming more mature in overcoming temptation and sin.  God, I do not ask You to deliver us in spite of the evil.  Rather, we ask You to deliver us in the midst of the evil so we may be victorious and that You may be glorified. 

 And we all said……. Amen!!!

Tony Sanchez 5-9-17