Barnabas Bulletin ~ 0140
FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
(Part 1)
The Scriptures exhort us to be “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). So what does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit”? How does one know when they are filled with the Spirit? If anyone or anything is filled with something, then that something takes the precedence. It occupies the place of dominance. A person filled with the Spirit will always honour, exalt and glorify Jesus Christ. The doing of His will in and through our lives is paramount. Everyone and everything else takes a place of lesser importance. For Christians to be effective in the purposes of God we have to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus commanded that we make sure that we are filled with the Holy Spirit. In Luke 24:49 Jesus told His disciples to “tarry (“wait” where they were) until they were endued (“clothed upon”) with power from on high.” The word “power” here is from the Greek “dunamis” and means “a power that is capable of anything; ability to perform anything; power in action” (Bullinger’s). The Holy Spirit was then ~ and still is ~ an essential part of our Christian armoury/weaponry. It is only by the enabling of the indwelling Holy Spirit that we are able to accomplish anything in this life that will last throughout time and eternity. New Covenant Christianity is more a demonstration of the life and power of God working through us than any intellectual or religious knowledge. “The kingdom of God is not in word but in power (“dunamis”)” (1 Corinthians 4:20).
Jesus gave us signs and facts of things that happen when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
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We receive power ~ “dunamis” power. That is power for service; power to do the will of God; power to do things over and above our natural capabilities (Acts 1:8).
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We receive a spiritual language (even spiritual languages) to enable us to pray and communicate more effectively with Jesus. On the Day of Pentecost, when Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit, they started speaking in languages they had never learned. It was a spiritual, supernatural happening! (Acts 2). The speaking in other tongues is encouraged in the Apostle Paul’s writings ~ in fact he said he spoke with tongues more than anyone else (1 Corinthians 14:18). He encouraged Christians to speak in other tongues. Speaking in tongues edifies us like nothing else I know and builds us up in faith (Jude 20).
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We prophesy. When people are filled with the Holy Spirit they can prophesy. When the early disciples started speaking in tongues on the Day of Pentecost they also began prophesying and fulfilled the prophecy of Joel given approximately 800 years previously! The Apostle Peter preached that day that when God’s Holy Spirit is poured out on all flesh, that “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy” (Acts 2:16-21). When those disciples began prophesying scores of people (over 3,000) came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and were water baptized straight away (Acts 2:41). The Bible exhorts every Christian to prophesy! (1 Corinthians 14:1, 3-6, 12, 31, 39).
The sooner the Christian Church gets back to the original pattern, the sooner we will see mighty signs, wonders and miracles being done through those who are filled with the Holy Spirit. God never asks us to do anything but that He equips us for it. But if we ignore or try and do things according to our own intellect, then we are soon destitute of the necessary power to fulfil the Great Commission of Jesus, which is to take the Gospel to every nation (Mark 16:15-20). (To be continued) ~ Rodney W. Francis.
Bible Readings: Acts Chapter 2 1 Corinthians 14.
Please Pray This Prayer:
“Dear God, I come to You in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and I ask You to fill me totally with Your Blessed Holy Spirit. Help me to lay aside anything that comes between me and You, so I can be completely available to You and what You are saying to me, and requiring of me. I really do want to do Your will, and to be an effective, fruitful and powerful minister of Your Supernatural Gospel in my day and generation. I desire to fulfil Your purpose and vision for my life, and share Your loving heart with others! You are such a Good and Wonderful Lord to me. In Jesus' name, I pray these things. Amen."
The Gospel Faith Messenger Ministry, P.O. Box 57, Paraparaumu 5254, New Zealand. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.