Open Heavens 1 November 2016: Tuesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Grieve not the Holy Spirit

Topic: Grieve not the Holy Spirit [Tuesday 1, November 2016]
Memorise: And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. – Ephesians 4:30
Read: Matthew 12:24-31 (KJV)
 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Bible in One Year: Revelation 1:1-3:13, Psalms 91
MESSAGE:
 There are many Christians living in frustration and defeat because they have set themselves against the flow of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the key to the outpouring of revival and every endeavour in this new dispensation. The Holy Spirit is the secret behind every supernatural occurrence. Do you desire to know the plan of God for your tomorrow? Get the Holy Spirit. Do you want to live a successful Christian life? Get the Holy Spirit. Without the power of the Holy Spirit, you will live a life of continuous defeat. As helpful as the Holy Spirit is, one should be careful in relating with Him. Ananias and Saphirra lied to Peter about how much they sold their land. They felt they were deceiving Peter, unfortunately, it was too late for them to realise that they had grieved the Holy Spirit. Whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
 There are numerous ways by which people grieve the Holy Spirit. The moment a person begins to rebel against the instructions in God’s Word, such a fellow is asking for trouble from the Holy Spirit. At several points in the life of the children of Israel, they murmured against God. They were never satisfied with His provision. Psalms 78:40 says:
“How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!”
They grieved God for forty years in the wilderness. Their hearts were hardened and they refused to acknowledge the ways of God. As a result of this attitude, they were not allowed to enter into the rest of the Lord. May this not be your portion in Jesus’ name.
 Another way people can grieve the Holy Spirit is when they despise the truth of God’s Word. The apostle, in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 said that the church must not quench the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit can be grieved when disciples begin to disobey God. Believers today should do everything possible to pattern their lives after the beliefs and practices that were maintained by the disciples of the early church. There should be no room for bitterness or evil feelings towards one another. There are some people who make deliberate attempts to deceive their leaders. Some try to act very cleverly. Some Christians still see themselves as being smart because their sins have not yet been found out. All these people are only waiting for the judgement of God unless they repent. Do not do anything that will make you an enemy to the Holy Spirit. Do not make yourself a stumbling block to the progress of others around you. Don’t have the ‘pull it down’ mind-set. Don’t scatter the good works others have done simply because you are in a position of influence. All those who do these will see the anger of God.
 The Holy Spirit must not be grieved. He is always working hard against sinners. You have to allow the Holy Spirit to breathe on you with the breath of God so that your life can be filled anew. When your life is filled anew, you will find it easy to love what He loves.
Prayer Point: Father, help me not to grieve your Holy Spirit.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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