quit crying
"How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way." —1 Samuel 16:1
Many Spirit-filled Christians are grieving because of the condition of the Church. They're very disappointed in their pastors. They see the demonic strongholds in the Church. They lament the cooling of the Christian faith through secular humanism.
God's word to us is: "Quit crying and start anointing with the Holy Spirit." Like Samuel, we are to fill our horns with oil and get going. The One in us is greater than the one in the world (1 Jn 4:4). We should attack the gates of hell, which cannot prevail against us (Mt 16:18). Satan ought to be shedding more tears than we are.
Remember, we don't just have a chance to win; we have already won in Jesus' death and resurrection. Victory is assured because our victory in Jesus is final. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rm 8:31) "We are more than conquerors because of Him Who has loved us" (Rm 8:37). Even when we let the devil win temporarily, we can repent and let the Lord make "all things work together for the good of those who love God" (Rm 8:28). All the problems in the world and in the Church ain't nothin' the Holy Spirit can't handle.
Prayer: Father, put a smile on my face, a spring in my step, and joy in my heart. Thank You for Jesus' victory.
Promise: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath." —Mk 2:27-28
Praise: St. Anthony received the anointing of the Spirit in such a life-changing way that he sold all his possessions and lived as a hermit.
Reference: (For related teaching, order our leaflet, The Challenge of Making Disciples in a Culture of Death, or on audio AV 97-1 and AV 97-3 or on video V-97.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Daniel E. Pilarczyk, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, June 19, 2005
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