Be Filled with the Spirit!

The Bible tells us to be “filled with the Spirit!” Have you ever wondered what that means? It may not be what you think.

We might surmise to be “filled with the Spirit” means that we will have an emotional experience. Now, it could mean that, but you can have this encounter with God and have no emotional experience to speak of.

I’m sure we would all love to have an emotional encounter with God every single day. It would be great to just get “zapped” every morning, wouldn’t it? But that is not necessarily going to happen.

As you know, we are now studying the book of Acts at Harvest on Sunday mornings. This Sunday, we are going to look at the day of Pentecost. The day of Pentecost was like the explosion that set the early Church into motion.

Like when you start driving a car, there is the “explosion” that starts the engine. But once the engine is started, you just drive the car. You don’t need the explosion over and over, just one to start the engine.

Thank God for those powerful, emotional, life-changing encounters we have with Him.

A number of people have written me and told me that happened last Sunday for them when we had a time of prayer after the message. That is wonderful, yet Scripture reminds us, “The just shall live by FAITH” (Romans 1:17 NKJV). So we don’t need “another” Pentecost any more than we need “another” Calvary.

We just need to appropriate and apply what God has made available for every believer… And that is the work and power of the Holy Spirit to help you be the person God has called you to be.

Paul tells us, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 NKJV). So we don’t need the “Spirits,” we need the Holy Spirit!

The word “filled” has many shades of meaning. One translation of the word filled describes the idea of the wind filling the sail of a ship as it carries it out to sea. So to be filled with the Spirit is to allow God to fill your sails and guide your course through life, making His commands not a drudgery, but a delight.

Also, this word ‘filled’ speaks of something that should be ongoing and continuous. You could translate it “Be being filled with the Holy Spirit.” Just like you have to put gas in your car, and those gas prices are insane right now! You need the constant filling of the Holy Spirit. The good news is God will not charge you.

I will have a lot more to say about this Sunday morning at Harvest. You can come and join us in person, our service times are listed here. Or you can log on to our live webcast or watch the archive of it later.

Hey, have a blessed, “Spirit-filled” weekend, OK?
Greg