Thoughts on Resisting God

Tonight while I sat at the piano going over my favorite selections a song came to mind. I almost drove myself to the point of going crazy because I couldn't remember the words to the song nor the person who sings it! All I could hear was bits and pieces in my oh-too-short-memory. Finally God brought the person to mind so I got on mama's computer to see if she had it downloaded on Window's Media Player. As I scrolled through hours upon hours of gospel music I caught sight of Bro. Mark McGaughey's sermons. I paused for a minute then went back to looking for the song. Still, I couldn't help but see Bro. Mark's name in my head. Momentarily the song didn't seem very important as I scrolled back up and pressed the play button to, "Ye Do Always Resist".

As soon as Bro. Mark's deep voice sounded on the speakers I felt conviction. I suppose it was because he reminds me of the old camp meeting days when the Spirit of God was real. In those days my heart was very tender towards God and I wanted God to be ever present in my life. During those great church meetings the "in crowd" was serving God.

Or maybe I felt conviction because Bro. Mark seems like a man of God who is completely sold out to Christ. You can hear the compassion in his voice, and can almost see his broken heart at times. He is the man who once said those who aren't living a life sold out to God . . . "They don't know what they're missing!"

The scripture was out of Acts chapter 7, the message was from God. "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." We've all resisted God in our life at one point or another. Whether it's staying in our pew when God tells us to go the altar or saying "no" when God tells us to go to the mission field, it is sin. It is like turning our back on God and walking away from His will for us. It is a very sad and serious matter that I'm afraid we take too lightly. I believe God's heart is saddened every time we say no to the Holy Ghost. Every time we decide to go our own way we rob our self of a blessing. What about you? Have you resisted the Holy Ghost lately?