Having Feeling

The apostle Paul described the spiritual condition of many, saying that they were “past feeling [and had] given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Eph. 4:19). The ‘feeling’ he was talking about was the feeling of the heart and soul, mainly in regard to the capacity to be touched by the needs of others, and to have the genuine joy of the Lord. A compassionate, merciful spirit is the earmark of the righteousness of God dwelling in a person; even as an unmerciful and judgmental spirit is the earmark of someone being under a religious, self righteous spirit. God gave a promise in Ezekiel concerning believers having real feeling: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26). It truly is a privilege to be able to be touched in the heart and effected by the love of God; whether it be thankfulness, compassion, joyful rejoicing, weeping, or whatever the case may be. To have the freedom of spirit to express these things is an even greater gift. If these things are not in order in our lives, then repentance surely is. To not have feeling of this nature is simply unnatural for someone who has God’s Spirit dwelling in them, and is evidence of not being led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14). The failure to allow these things to be freely and fully expressed, comes only by reason of pride and fear. Many feel that it is a sign of weakness for a man to weep, but that would have to mean that Jesus and all of the righteous men of the Bible were weak. I don’t think so. In fact it is a sign of weakness to not weep, if weeping is in order; because failing to do so comes from fear and pride. The same is true for rejoicing. Many are too refined for any such thing, but nevertheless there is a commandment to “rejoice evermore” (I Thess. 5:16). Also we are told by the scriptures that “the joy of the Lord is [our] strength” (Neh. 8:10).

There are numerous admonitions in the Bible for the lifting up of our hands in worship to God, and I can tell you that it is as natural as breathing for someone who is being led by God’s Spirit in their life. David danced before the Lord with all his might, and this should come as no surprise, as he was the one who said, “thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” (II Sam. 6:14; Psm. 23:5). Most folks are not able to rejoice like that, or express the feeling of God’s Spirit, because their heads are not anointed and their cups are just not full; much less running over. If you’re cup is running over my friend, it simply has to come out; and when it does it’s going to get all over those who are around. When your head is anointed with oil [i.e. the Spirit] you are going to think the way the people of the Bible thought, and do like they did. Period. To have the feeling to express these things, and then to not do so, is just plainly quenching the holy Ghost, which the scripture commands us to not do (I Thess. 5:19). It is also interesting to note that David’s wife Michal was sentenced to permanent widowhood for having a problem with David’s public dancing before the Lord and Israel (II Sam. 6:20-23). The apostle Paul told us to “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep” (Rom. 12:15). The same apostle confessed that much of his preaching was done with tears (Acts 20:31). If we quench the Spirit of God, then we are depriving ourselves of blessing, and God of pleasure. The fear of what others think will always give you a ‘good’ reason for quenching the holy Ghost, and it will always be a lie. Believing a lie has been damning from the beginning, even as believing and following what God’s Spirit is doing and saying is the only pathway to eternal life (Rom. 8:14, I Jn. 2:27,28; Rev. 2:11). In short my friends, everything in our being, physical, mental, and spiritual; has been created by God for the purpose of serving and worshiping him. If we have received God’s Spirit, we “are bought with a price;” and to deny God from using any part of us for his worship and service is surely equivalent to stealing from the Lord, and that is not good. (I Cor. 6:19,20). Amen.

@[100000447953012:2048:Lary Hale]