We are to seek the Presence of GOD!
Religion is form without power, routine without relationship. It is the shell of something that could have life, but it doesn’t.
If you are like me, you want the more of GOD in all areas of your life. Once you taste the “more” of GOD, you want even more! I want both quality AND quantity of all things related to HIM. This is why I have such difficulty in attending a religious service that is void of the power of GOD.
When I was young and immature, I simply enjoyed the milk of The Word. That was fine for then, but now I thrive on the meat of The Word. Milk by itself will not bring us to full maturity.
When the power of GOD arrives, your perception changes. When you taste and see, you simply want more. Nothing else matters when the power of GOD arrives.
Jesus illustrated the normal Christian life. There are two Biblical standards for our walk.
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 4:
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak Truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
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, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Paul provides us with the expectation of what it means to be led by The Holy Spirit. Do not grieve The Holy Spirit. We grieve HIM when we have wrong desires, wrong actions, wrong attitudes, wrong words, when we participate with the inferior, when we participate with evil in any way.
Secondly, Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5:
19 Do not quench the Holy Spirit.
In other Words, never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit. It is critically important for us to live by these two commands.
Jesus emphasized the ministry of The Holy Spirit as He spoke in John chapter 16:
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.
The word quench means to extinguish; to put out the light or fire; to bring to an end typically by satisfying; to eliminate; to stop the flow. I have seen this happen in church services… how sad… I was grieved, I knew there was more for us in the service.
Our character is altered as we are led by The Holy Spirit. As our character changes, we will participate in the power and flow of The Holy Spirit and minister to others effectively. We walk in both character and power.
The Beloved Disciple recorded by The Holy Spirit in John chapter 21:
24 I, John, am that disciple who has written these things to testify of the Truth, and we know that what I’ve documented is accurate.
25 Jesus did countless things that I haven’t included here. And if every one of His works were written down and described one by one, I suppose that the world itself wouldn’t have enough room to contain the books that would have to be written!
Jesus never grieved or quenched The Holy Spirit in His 3 ½ years of earthly ministry! John testified of the results.