There is something God cannot do

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Well. Some of you just switched me off. God is all-powerful! He can dance circles around anything that comes up. I know that! Let's see what the Word says.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 "Quench not the Spirit"

Here it is in the Amplified version: "Do not quench (supress or subdue) the Holy Spirit"

And even more visually expressed in Today's NIV: "Do not put out the Spirit's fire"

What does this have to do with us? Everything! God is above all things, but He has given us free will. We have the ability to supress Him. I think this is quite evident in many aspects of our society. He was declared dead in the 60's. He was "just alright" in the 70's. He was morphed over to cool in the 80's and awesome in the 90's. Is this the way one speaks of someone who is precious? Or is it a way to subdue Him?

I really like a good fire. I have made some doozies; one even warranted a stop over by a fireman to make sure everything was ok. When the flames are building and it starts heating things up a little too much, it is time to quench it down. All of our instincts (and experiences) tell us that we need to keep it under control or it will damage something.

So if this verse is admonishing us to not quench the Spirit, then logic tells us that we can quench Him. The work of His Spirit can be doused by our doubt and unbelief. It can be dampened by our fear and our need to control what is happening. Surrendering to the fire of God is...let's be real for a second...it's scary! It brings us out of our place of control but it produces purity. This is a good place to be. We'd be in the company of Moses, Elijah, Ezekiel, John, His ministers....

We must be mindful that fire is found in ungodly forms as well. The darts of the devil are described as firey. Profane offerings produce an unacceptible fire. The tongue of man is a firey world of iniquity. These are the fires that produce destruction. These are the fires that need quenching!

So, is there something God cannot do? Yes. He cannot, and will not, show up at a place where He is not wanted. Quenching Him, despising His word and scoffing those who are using the gifts they have been given by Him will stop Him in His tracks. I've heard it said that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He will not barge into a place where He is not invited. His fire is unlike any other. Let that be the fire that burns within!