Full of the Holy Ghost - Power of the spirit

An interesting observation

And Jesus [b]being full of the Holy Ghost[/b] returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Luk 4:1

Later we read

And Jesus returned [b]in the power of the Spirit[/b] into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. Luk 4:14

what happened between these two verses? we know the story about the devil coming to him and tempting him. I think we(I) so often have a pre-made-up mind about how God works and what will take place when he does things.

we see Jesus wasent sent into a great ministry once he received the fullness of the spirit, he went into the desert and into temptations and hunger and fasting and the heat and loneliness and the rest i can only imagine.

but the result was he returned in the power of the spirit.

and I noticed an interesting thing about [i]ONE[/i] of the results of this power was this , being full of the spirit, and coming in the power of the spirit one would expect a great revival from such a man. Surly such a man with such anointing will bring the awakening and what we have been waiting for. One of the things that happened when he started preaching to Gods children was this:

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Luk 4:28-29

being filled and receiving Gods power for ministry dont always look as I imagine it would.

God may have me baptized in the fullness of the spirit, lead me through a period of immense pains, fasting and temptations to make me ready to serve him with the power of his spirit only to have me thrown of a cliff to die.

at least one knows only those serious with God would come to the altar at such an invitation to be filled with the spirit.

Just my observations.

God bless you all

Christian

God may have me baptized in the fullness of the spirit, lead me through a period of immense pains, fasting and temptations to make me ready to serve him with the power of his spirit only to have me thrown of a cliff to die.

. . . and then, finally, we will be home with Him.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

"The glory that should follow"?

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2Cr 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Peter 3:15-18 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

We can only glory in these things by the power of the Christ in us. For the natural man cannot understand the things of God. 1Cr 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

Hard to understand?

In Christ: Phillip

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, [b]arm yourselves likewise with the same mind[/b]: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

There is that word suffering again. Though it is part of the Christian walk, we recoil at suffering.

Rather, we should expect it. Hate it, yes. Expect it, yes also.

2 Tim 3v12, 'Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.'

In speculating, one can only suppose the reason why those in the synagogue wanted to kill Jesus was because there was too much of God in Him.

By that I mean when He had read the scripture and closed the book and declared that the scripture was now fulfilled, they observed his gracious words, Luke 4v22, but yet, they recognised Him as Joseph's son.

By verse 28 they were filled with wrath.

So, having the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives cost. I think the prayer, fasting and the time spent with God is the easy part.

Its when we encounter people. Both God's people and satan's people.

That is when battle begins.

God bless.

It's important to remember that the wilderness experience, the dying to self, the Calvary Road, are not ends in themselves but rather they bring us onto ground where life can come forth. Even in martydom the works of darkness are overcome. Of course Jesus was no mere martyr but for those cleansed by His blood even the loss of physical life for His names sake manifests something of the resurrection life of Christ in this world.

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
(Rev 12:10-11)

In Christ,

Ron

1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

InTheLight wrote:
It's important to remember that the wilderness experience, the dying to self, the Calvary Road, are not ends in themselves but rather they bring us onto ground where life can come forth.

1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

I think there is much more to suffering then we/I can comprehend, I think the way of suffering is much more Gods way with men then any other. God is love and never does anything that ever was unloving.

But the mindset so often in us, is to escape suffering, In my short walk i have already noticed that the harder suffering and agony, the closer I have come to God. The more pressure the more my unchristlikness is revealed, we are not more of a Christian then we are in the hardest, most difficult situation, when the suffering is so much we can not bare it any longer, beyond that moment. How we react there in that spot, that is how real we are. When everything is nice and flowery and joyful and so on. Then it is easy to be Christian, it is easy to praise God. Even a "wordly" unconverted person can be a "christian" then. I dont meen theyare but i hope you understand my point.

But in that dark place, when heaven seem closed, when temptations and sufferings abound in multitudes. How real are we? Tests of our faith and
obedience.

Can we praise God in the midst of suffering?

I believe there is power in the breaking, the death, we see over and over again,

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Luk 22:44 And being [b]in an agony[/b] he prayed [b]more[/b] earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

2Co 4:17-18 For our [b]light affliction,[/b] which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and [b]eternal weight of glory[/b];While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Jas 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.