---QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT ~~

--"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature (creation); the old things passed away; behold,
new things have come.
Now all these things are from God, "who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He
has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
--[2 Corinthians 5:17- 19] --

--Some years ago on a Sunday afternoon, the Spirit prompted me to visit an older man in our community. So I went and knocked at his door and received a warm welcome. After I shared with him the plan of salvation, he prayed and confessed his sins. On Wednesday evening he came to prayer meeting and gave his testimony of peace. We were expecting him to come to church on Sunday morning, but he never arrived. The next week some brethren went to investigate and found his dead body in the kitchen. The incident reminded me that if the Spirit of God prompts us to speak to some soul, we had better respond.

In Acts 8 we read an inspiring story about Philip. An angel told him to go to the road leading to Gaza, "which is desert." Philip could have thought there were no people in such a place, but he found a seeking soul. The Spirit said, "Join thyself to this chariot," and Philip responded promptly and "rain thither." Philip could hardly wait to present the message of salvation to the Ethiopian eunuch. First he asked a question: "understandeth thou what thou readest?" The man replied, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" And when Philip expounded the Scriptures, the Ethiopian eunuch believed and was baptized.

Notice Philip's' zeal as he "ran thither." We should learn from that and ask God for a greater burden and compassion to touch souls with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And when the Spirit of God prompts us to speak, let's not put it off.

--BSW/CM~