Evangelist D.L. Moody did that cuz he was filled and controlled by the Spirit. He spoke and ministered and walked by the Spirit.
"Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" ~ James
Moody was once asked why he urged Christians to be filled constantly with the Holy Spirit. “Well,” he said, “I need a continual infilling because I leak!” He pointed to a water tank which had sprung a leak. “I’m like that!” he said. It’s a fact that living in this sinful world we do need to be replenished by the Spirit. A friend of mine, an evangelist, was asked if he believed in the “second blessing” (normally a controversial subject in some churches) of being filled up. “Of course I do,” he replied, “and in the 3rd, 4th, 5th blessing of being filled with the Spirit in order to give witness of Jesus.. and so on.”
I believe in the Jesus of the Bible and am praying for a fifth great awakening that spawns an authentic world-changing revival as well.
It could happen -- all of this could.
Listen, there is a difference between having the Holy Spirit living on the inside and being controlled from within by the Holy Spirit because He’s empowered you to be a witness and give witness for Christ. As you go choose to shine brightly as His witness, to do what He’d have you do, and to obediently say what He would have you say. Being filled with the Spirit is an experience that begins when you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. The Holy Spirit comes into your life and you are to be controlled by the Holy Spirit as God’s representative here. Be refilled from time to time as well cuz you know we leak. As the Spirit is in your life, He will help you to think, speak and act righteously. He’ll help you have a good attitude too. The Greek word for a helping comforter is parakletos. This is one who comes to and along to minister to. This is one who is called alongside to help us. We have an important task. He will help you to live the Christian life because you and I can’t do this on our own. It is the Holy Spirit working in you that conforms you into the image of Jesus. He is the one who gives you the power to be and live like Christ did, yes, to do the works of Christ in this world.
What you need today in this world where the hubcaps, the wheels, and the axles are falling off onto the road before our very eyes is this: the outflowing of the Holy Spirit from your life! We need the Word and the Spirit to daily live out of this overflow from God. There is a difference between being filled up and overflowing. There’s of course a difference between a well of water, streams of water, and rivers of living water flowing through or out to a parched and thirsty world. The rivers of living water and the overflow, that’s of the Holy Spirit who wants Christ’s Gospel message going out with power. The outward spreading, the adding and multiplying.. that’s all from the empowering outflow of the Spirit rather than from being saved. Jesus wants to be Savior and Lord. He wants us doing “greater things,” even great exploits of faith. This comes from God and brings a transformation within people’s lives. First comes His conviction, then saving faith with repentance, and then comes regeneration and it’s for a local and worldwide Purpose. His purpose. As the Spirit flows forth out of your life, believer, the dunamis, I mean that power from God.. that beautiful and winsome dynamic of the Spirit goes forth from you in touching the needy world around you. So that was what Jesus was talking about with His disciples.
A shepherd will gently nurture, tend, feed and lead the sheep by still waters. A rancher will drive the cattle as well as drive away the wolves. Why? Because sheep are different and wolves have a different diet. Cattle are tougher and have minds of their own. Sheep get thirsty and they like rivers for what they produce -- food. But wolves eat sheep.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake." Ps. 23:1-3
Got a small group or small church? Rather than push Push PUSH people to fill in a need or a position to serve, or pull out the lash so to speak to get em going right, let’s simply know and serve the Lord out of the overflow. Let's ask them how we might serve them? Each one. Good idea huh! Well-fed Christians naturally want to serve.. out of the overflow of strength. Well-fed, cared for sheep naturally reproduce!
What are your relationships really like? Is all the activity for some religious show? Become faithful, fruitful and genuine. I say get alone with Jesus today cuz He always is. Wait on Him in the quiet, it is going to happen in and through you! Real ministry will. Don’t quit Him, His church or your small Bible study group, Buckeroo! We want fruit that abides unto eternal life. Listen, there’s nothing wrong with smart organizing (none of us want chaos), but people being added to our number along with the exciting multiplication in Christ’s church will only come from the overflow of the Spirit, and not merely from our organizational skills, technical logistics, or from striving in the flesh. Wasn’t it the Pharisees and SADusees that were all about that kind of outward show?
What or who are you full of? Jesus basically taught us a couple of times: For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (See Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45).
What’s most in the well will come up in the bucket.
“For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles. The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." ~ Jesus, Luke 6:44-45
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| Photo by Mario Álvarez |
What does it mean that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45)?
How is prayer communicating with God?
What are some Bible verses about cursing?
Why are we told to “let your words be seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6)?
What does it mean to speak life?
What are some Bible verses about abundance?
What are idle words (Matthew 12:36)?
What is a reviler in the Bible?
What are some Bible verses about gossip?
What are some Bible verses about lying?
What does the Bible say about verbal abuse?
What does it mean that we should be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19)?
How can I overcome competition in church, and having a critical spirit?
"We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." James 3:2-12 niv
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." Ephesians 4:15
“With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47
Parakletos - He's One called alongside to help. One who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader if you will, a counsel for defense, a legal assistant too, a real Advocate · one who pleads another's cause.
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Photos by Dan Roizer |
Makes me want to study all the rivers in the Bible and what comes from them like...
What are some Bible verses about slander?
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| Photo by Rolands Varsbergs |
The empowering of the Holy Spirit is essential for witnessing, living victorious and being effective in God’s kingdom today.
Ask and You Shall Receive. God wants you to have the Spirit and Him to have you. In Acts 2:14-39, Peter preaches a very anointed sermon as a result of being filled with the outpouring and empowering of the Holy Spirit.
Sure, it can happen. You can be filled for a purpose as well. Peter states in his message that the promise of the Holy Spirit is a gift and is for all believers in all generations. Totally free of charge. We must remember that this gift is not as a result of our earning anything, or of our religious works, or of good deeds, or by trying to keep the law of God.
Rather, we repent of our sins and then forgiveness and the Holy Spirit are received inside by faith. Some people seem hindered in receiving the Holy Spirit because they expect feelings or desire sensational manifestations. Yet, we are to just believe in Jesus whether we see manifestations or not. Some people feel something and others feel nothing. Feelings come and go, they can be so fickle, but Jesus will never go. He'll never leave you nor forsake you, believer.
Of course, any time we step out in faith so to speak and believe God, we can expect that Satan will try to distract or temp us with doubt. We should not be moved away when Satan tries to challenge our most important steps of faith. Again, the Spirit and the gift of the Spirit is free for the taking.. for the receiving and God is no respecter of persons. All His kids are His favorites, otherwise He plays no favorites one over another. All we have to do is ask, and then receive by faith.
A Torrent of Love. We've all heard how God has created in every person a vacuum, a place that is to be filled up with God the Spirit. However, the world tries to fill the vacuum with the pleasures and sensations of the world. People seek to fill that inner void with false religion, with alcohol, drugs, sex, yes.. with any or everything but the Spirit of God.
Jesus said “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
The apostle John clarifies that Jesus was referring to the Spirit flowing like a rushing river or torrent of living water from the life of those who believe in Him. We believers who are filled up with the Holy Spirit, and then allow the Spirit to flow forth from our lives, will see and experience the fruit of love in their lives (Galatians 5:22). Biblically showing genuine love is the measure or the sign that we are filled with the Holy Spirit. God is love.
There is an ultimate experience for you. Unbelievers do not have the capacity to understand the love, joy, peace and fulfillment that a believer who is filled up with the Spirit has.
Living in fellowship with God through Christ and in fellowship with other believers if totally fulfilling. The Christian life is the ultimate experience for anyone! Yet, without becoming a reborn Christian, it is difficult to describe and explain what it is really like.
Fulfilling and satisfying. Of course, this is only so for the believer who truly gives God free rein in their life. Jesus wants to be Savior and Lord. It is true for those who say no to the flesh and yes to the Spirit who always point to Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. He's not one among many ways.
We need to enter His rest.. and enter His Church. We need to abide and not strive. The faithful Holy Spirit is the sole Source of fruit for the believer. In order to remain fruitful, we must obey and remain on the vine; filled with the Holy Spirit.
Life groups are to be about life! The Christian life without the continual filling of the Holy Spirit can be dry like dead bones and works-oriented. Living water is what you really thirst for. Please allow the Spirit to flow into and through you out to a thirsty world.
