Is Your Check Engine Light On? My favorite time to write the web lessons is Saturday mornings before the sun comes up.  I actually look forward to getting up every morning extra early just to spend some time in prayer and in the Word of God. It's during these times that I pray for you specifically.  This happens to be one of those early Saturday mornings.  I'm pouring my second cup of coffee, and I'm saying, "Lord, I need Your inspiration for my web lesson this morning."  As the comedian Bill Engvall of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour says,..."Here's your sign." This morning I am to go exchange a loaner car from the local car dealership and pick up my wife's car.  The warning light that is shown above has been displayed on the dash panel of Julie's car, so hopefully the dealership has corrected the problem.  We have had some problems with this pesky little symbol.  The symbol has stayed on more than it has stayed off in this car. (I pray that they finally fixed the problem today.)  Each time that we've taken the car in for repair to have the symbol reset, it's usually been for minor things like a leaking gas cap or a loose vacuum hose.  This being the case, we've almost come to ignore the symbol...but this may not be a wise thing.  You see, today's car engines are very sophisticated pieces of engineering; the symbol is a warning sign that something is just not right.  If the symbol is completely ignored long enough, the death of my car is certain. Is your internal "check engine light" on? (You are a pretty significant piece of engineering.)  Neat thing...I looked up Webster's Dictionary meaning of the word "symbol."  Here is EXACTLY what one of the definitions states: "4 : an object or act representing something in the unconscious mind that has been repressed."  Want to know more neat stuff about Webster's definition of this word? In the on-line Webster definition it says, "-- more at DEVIL" with a link to the definition of devil.  Don't believe me, do you?  Click this link: The definition above says an act representing something in the unconscious mind that has been repressed.  What possibly can you be ignoring (repressing) in the unconscious mind (your spirit)? What does the devil have to do with this? Is it possible that we have an internal "symbol" that says, "Check Spirit."  I say you should.  This internal warning symbol is called the Holy Spirit.  By God's grace we are given this Spirit when we become believers of Jesus Christ as our Lord.  Can you recall being somewhere or doing something that you just didn't feel right about doing? This is your internal "check engine" light coming on.  The choice then becomes yours.  Just like my check engine symbol in my wife's car, I can ignore it, or I can fix it.  Ignore it long enough and failure is certain. The Bible says in Romans 8:5, "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." (NIV)  What does the Spirit desire?  The Spirit desires to please God. The following is what the Bible tells us that happens when we decide to do right when that "Check Spirit" symbol lights up,"...the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)  Life and peace...that sounds pretty good. What is my alternative if I repress (ignore) the "Check Spirit" light?  The Bible says in the same passage above, "The mind of a sinful man is death..."   Now call me narrow minded, but I like the sound of life and peace a lot better. You may be thinking right now, "Now Robby, this is not one of your 'make me feel good' uplifting lessons."  I know; I've struggled a little writing this. But what is MOST important to me is that you are a reader of my lessons...at least this lesson, and if you receive what I say here, your life will be so much better.  The Word of God promises life and peace if the Spirit controls you.  That is A Good Word! Today we are bombarded so much with liberal TV shows, magazine ads, and even the news.  I'm concerned that your warning light may come on, and you just repress it because of all of the junk fuel that you may have been using to fill your spiritual fuel tank.  You may just ignore the warning symbol until it just burns itself out.  At least check out the Owner's Manual if your light has been on. See what the Book says about your warning symbol.  I have limited mechanical skills, and if I were reading your car manual,  I wouldn't be much help. But I can give you great insight with your Owner's Manual (Your Bible).  I'm certain if you read through it yourself, you will be able to know how to make the repair so the warning light will reset itself. Bad fuel in your car over time causes the fuel injectors to clog, and your engine will lose much of its capable performance.  The injectors can become clogged, and the check engine light will light up.  Your spiritual engine will do the same thing.  I've seen this happen in the church.  Members will attend worship and Sunday school for several weeks and receive good fuel into their spiritual fuel tank.  In speaking with them, it seems that they believe that things are going well for them and have a better sense of their purpose.  They get a good tune up, filled with the best fuel available (God's Fuel) and then sometimes drive away from church for several weeks at a time.  Then what happens is they keep filling up week after week with the world's fuel.  They think that they are doing OK because their engine keeps running. (Not knowing all along that their fuel ports are clogging up.)  Suddenly they find themselves in a compromising situation, and their "check engine" light comes on.  They have to decide (free will):  Do I do something to correct the "check engine", or do I just ignore it and hopefully it will just turn itself off? I have seen the results of the ones that just ignore the warning symbol.  Breakdown is certain.  Several make it back to the Good Gas station limping and sputtering as they pull in.  They receive a strong dose of injector cleaner, "...because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction."  (1 Thessalonians 1:5)  But unfortunately, the others stay away. I have passed by them on the sides of the road with their hoods lifted.  Today,  I want to encourage you to stay in tune with your internal "check engine" light.  Don't ignore the symbol if it gives you a warning.  If you're not sure what to do when the warning is activated, pour some of this injector cleaner into your spiritual fuel tank... Robby

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