Sunday, June 21

A CALL TO ACTION




                        Mic 2:7  O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit
                        of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words
                        do good to him that walketh uprightly?

            In our text the question (is the spirit of the LORD straitened?) is made.  The word "straitened" means hinder, impede, or shorten.  Who can thus straiten (hinder) the Spirit of the Lord?  The voice of unbelief cannot.  See 2 tim. 2:13, "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful:  he cannot deny himself."  The discoveries of pseudo science cannot.  Science comes up with theories they think disprove the Bible, and then later those discoveries turn out to corroborate the word of God.  The spirit of the age cannot shorten the word of God.  See Eph. 2:2 "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."  Man just cannot impede the work of the Holy Spirit.

            Let us not treat the Holy Spirit as if He were straitened.  We thus treat Him when we no longer believe His word is powerful.  We thus treat Him when we become discouraged and think there is no use.  We thus treat Him when we think we are too insignificant to be used.  See 2 Cor. 12:10, "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake:  for when I am weak, then am I strong."

            To what action are we called?  First, live up to your name.  Israel was to live up to the name Jacob chosen of the Lord.  We Christians are to live up to the name Christ Who has saved us by His marvelous grace.  Second,  we are to see to our righteousness.  See Mic. 6:8, "He hath shewed them, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"  Third, Let us rise to the time.  Get out from under the circumstances and control the culture.

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