Full of the Holy Spirit

Full of the Holy Spirit:

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;” (Ephesians 5:18,19)

Last Sunday during the prayer time before service a brother prayed over these scriptures.

It is important to know that just because we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit sometime in the past that does not mean that today we are still filled with the Holy Spirit. The actual meaning of Ephesians 5:18 to be filled with the Spirit is not a one time filling but a continuous filling of the Holy Spirit. "Be thou being filled.”

We must come to God everyday as an empty vessel, empty of self, and seek God and ask Him to fill us, our lamps, with fresh oil so that we would be ablaze with the Spirit. We don’t want the world to see us but the Christ that lives in us. "Christ in us, the hope of glory.”

These scriptures are not only telling us to be filled with the Spirit, but also show us how to stay filled with the Spirit.
"Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.” (Psalm 100:2) when we sing to the Lord from our hearts, especially the Word of the Lord, we enter into His presence, and this is the key to remaining full of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, this is so good! That we need to stay FILLED with the Holy Spirit, especially in the coming days. there are so m any voices distracting us, we NEED to hear His voice only.

On an encouraging side note... I've been studying Ephesians 1 for almost two months now, it is beautiful what God has laid up for us all!!

Eph 1:13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 WHO IS THE GUARANTEE OF OUR INHERITANCE until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

The Holy Spirit is our first installment of heaven!! A foretaste of glory divine!!

Praise His holy name!
Lisa

This topic causes me great joy and great grief.

Joy, because there is no greater joy than having the witness of the Holy Spirit that I am indeed a child of God.
Joy because, he reveals the depth of the love of the father and the vast grace of the son to me.
Joy because he reveals the mysteries of the kingdom of God to me.
Joy because I can have fellowship in the Spirit with brothers and sisters on a level that no outsider or Christian with mere head knowledge can know about.
Joy, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Grief, because I taught 12 messages about the Holy Spirit in our fellowship and none of them got it.
Grief, when I hear brother talking about the Holy Spirit as a mere instrument, influence or agent and explaining precious things away with lifeless theology.
Grief, when I hear a brother denouncing the gifts of the Spirit.

This is very good thread. We need more practical posts like this on the Holy Spirit. I was very blessed by this.

Acts 7:55 - But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 "Look,” he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

When people were accusing Stephen, he was full of the Holy Spirit! He was able to see Jesus.

Grief, because I taught 12 messages about the Holy Spirit in our fellowship and none of them got it.

I was so excited to teach on Ephesians, I sent out two text messages encouraging them to read one chapter a day (6 chapters) or if possible, just read chapter one. I get there that Sunday and not one woman had read even a verse of Ephesians. Grief for me.

There is a war coming and the church is nowhere near ready.

Lisa

Thank you Brother for sharing about Stephen. He would probably be overlooked in today’s Church. He was not a Apostle or a prophet that we know of.

I love reading in Acts about Stephen, a man that was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. He was chosen by the Apostles to minister to the widows.

We talk about the coming persecution and tribulations that the saints of God will be going through, but we do not go through these fiery trials in our own strength. "For it is not by might not by power but by my Spirit says the Lord.” (Zechariah 4:6). Stephen was able to die a martyr’s death not because he was a Superman of the Christian Faith, but because he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Stephen was able to stand boldly before his persecutors because of the grace of God that was given to him. When we are persecuted if we are abiding in Christ, full of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God and of glory will rests on us

"If you are insulted and reviled for [bearing] the name of Christ, you are blessed [happy, with life-joy and comfort in God’s salvation regardless of your circumstances], because the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on you [and indwelling you””He whom they curse, you glorify].” (1 Peter 4:14 Amplified)

[Brother, you are not alone. I teach Sunday school to about 10 ladies and I've told the Lord I've quit I don't know how many times but He won't let me.]

We must go about the master's business no matter what. I once wanted to quit after being attacked by fellow christians. I think everyone who is serious in ministry regardless how big or how small will sooner or later be attacked or disowned or the like by fellow believers.

If it is our own ministry, we may fall into doubt and feel tempted to please men. If it is the Lord's ministry, you still have to listen and consider their words in case there is even a slight bit of truth in it even if packaged in meanness, but if not, you can refer to Jesus who called you to minister.

Keep going sis, thanks for the encouragement:)

Narrowpath, based on my little experience in ministry, I believe God can fill only those who are thirsting for the Holy Spirit.

James 4:2 You do not have, because you do not ask. 3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.

So in Christendom, this is the reason that people do not receive Holy Spirit even after hearing so much,
1. They do not ask with right motives. They ask Holy Spirit for his external manifestations. External manifestations like healing are not the main function but internal power to please God is the main function of Holy Spirit. When we seek Him only for external manifestations, we do not receive because our motives are wrong.

2. Now in the other side there are people who see these fake manifestations of Holy Spirit and totally rejected Him. They stopped asking. They do not have because they do not ask!

But Jesus clearly said in Luke 11:13 - If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

A child asks bread to his father because he is hungry not to show off that he has bread and others don't! If we ask with that hunger and thirst, God will bless us with his Holy Spirit.