BE FILLED

The Holy Ghost was promised to us by Jesus as we all know from the beginning of the matter when Jesus spoke to the original disciples concerning the coming of the comforter (Holy Ghost)
~ John 14-16, and then breathed upon them saying receive ye the Holy Ghost ~ John 20:22.

Jesus told the disciples even after breathing upon them to go an wait in Jerusalem to be endue with power from on high ~Acts 1-4. And as they waited on the Lord … there came a sound from heaven like a might rushing wind and it filled the house where they were sitting and there came the appearance of cloven tongues which sit upon them an they were filled with the Holy Ghost and begin to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

These were not con artiest and fools playing games. These were devote (serious respectable) men from every nation, who were filled with the Holy Ghost. The same Holy Spirit we receive today.

Here we find they waited on the Lord. They were not just sitting in the upper room knitting and whittling. No, they were waiting. They were praying and in expectation about one thing, the promise of God. They were focused and anticipating and their expectation was not in vain. They received the end of their expected promise.

The reason I bring this message is that we might be reminded to be continually filled with the Holy Ghost. To be filled with the Holy Ghost is to be filled with power to witness. It is to be filled with love and all love’s attributes. ~ Gal. 5:22


A. W. Tozer wrote and I repeat:

--Ephesians 3:19
...To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Pentecost means that the Deity came to mankind to give Himself to man, that man might breathe Him in as he breathes in the air, that He might fill men.

Dr. A. B. Simpson used an illustration which was about as good as any I ever heard. He said, "Being filled with the fullness of God is like a bottle in the ocean. You take the cork out of the bottle and sink it in the ocean, and you have the bottle completely full of ocean. The bottle is in the ocean, and the ocean is in the bottle. The ocean contains the bottle, but the bottle contains only a little bit of the ocean. So it is with the Christian."

We are filled unto the fullness of God, but, of course, we cannot contain all of God because God contains us; but we can have all of God that we can contain. If we only knew it, we could enlarge our vessel. The vessel gets bigger as we go on with God.

Our prayer should be:
"Enlarge my vessel, Lord,
and fill me with more and more of the fullness of God."

But it is not enough to be filled, we must be willing to pour out. If we pour out into the lives of others.

~ Acts 2:17 Peter begins to share about all that was happening as the people ran into the streets pouring out the good news They were like men so full of energy they had to run, men so ablaze they must rush about the streets.

The reason a person does not run today, sharing all their heart with others; The reason they do not romp the streets in gladness is because they are not full … they are not firing well. They are simply coasting through life, as a car would coast if it ran short of fuel, or one that’s battery is failing to fire.

The filling of the Holy Ghost is like tanking up your car. It is like recharging your battery. If your car is out of gas it will only coast so far and then it will come to a stop. If your battery is low it will soon fail to faire completely and you will be stranded.

Many today in the church are going no where … they are stranded.

*Noah Webster defines stranded as:

• To drift or coast into a strange and unfavorable place.
• It is to depart from favor and from one’s desired course.

Some of the effects of being filled with the Spirit are:

1. Holiness of heart and life. This is not the perfection of the human nature, but the holiness of the divine nature dwelling within.

2. Fullness of joy so that the heart is constantly radiant. This does not depend on circumstances, but fills the spirit with holy laughter in the midst of the most trying surroundings.

3. Fullness of wisdom, light and knowledge, causing us to see things as He sees them.

4. An elevation, improvement and quickening of the mind by an ability to receive the fulfillment of the promise, We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

5. An equal quickening of the physical life. The body as well as the mind and soul was made for the Holy Spirit.

6. An ability to pray with the Holy Spirit. If He is in us there will be God's working in the world through us and around us.

• if you are not living a pure hearted life … loving others and desiring their good. If you are not being led toward any good work in life and drawn daily to prayer … you may be adrift.
  

• if you dry, depressed or sad all the day, you need a dose of the Holy Ghost.

• If circumstances are ruling you and situations keeping in heavy laden … you need a fresh infilling.

• if you argue with God by being critical of church leadership as the children did with Moses in the wilderness … you are coasting away, and need to return to God by pray and supplications of the Holy Ghost.

• if you see yourself only a grasshopper, no good, stupid or useless … you need to be filled with the Holy Ghost. Your tank is empty.
  

• if you are ailing all the time. I have a headache, my back hurts … I can’t sleep. If you are worrying and fretting all the time … you need to turn again to the person of the Holy Ghost for a good quickening of the body and soul.

• if you do not have a mind to pray, and thus you have not had a heart to serve others, your battery is not firing … favor is waning … you must being to press your flesh and wait before the Lord for a wind of the Spirit to rush through your soul and a fire again.

To those who have not be filled with the Holy Ghost I admonish you to be filled. I admonish those who have been filled to be, being filled.

“…. God is like a bottle in the ocean. You take the cork out of the bottle and sink it in the ocean, and you have the bottle completely full of ocean. The bottle is in the ocean, and the ocean is in the bottle. The ocean contains the bottle, but the bottle contains only a little bit of the ocean. So it is with the Christian.” ~ A. B. Simpson

Enlarge our vessels Lord, fill us with Your fullness!