Hi Folks!
How much do you want the fullness of God in your life and ministry? Are you satisfied at where you are at with the Lord, or do you desire more? What price are you willing to pay to be filled with God’s wonderful presence?
Well I’m sure you’re longing for more of Him as I am. I’m amazed at the dissatisfaction in the hearts of God’s people. So many of whom I’ve talked with of late are desiring more of God. They know there is more and they are willing to do what it takes to go after it. This is called spiritual hunger.
Many saints are getting hungry for God. Proverbs 16:26 says a mans hungry mouth drives him on. If you get hungry enough you will do whatever it takes to satisfy that hunger. I believe this is one of the major workings of the Holy Spirit in this hour – calling us to Himself. The Lord is hungry for our fellowship. The interesting thing about all this though, is that we are required to draw near first – not God. As we draw near He draws near. He responds to our hearts desire. He responds to the heart cry of faith.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith …to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17a, 19
Faith is always required for God and His man to come together to any significant degree. Be quick to hear and obey what He is saying to you right now. Faith and obedience are the same. You do not have true faith if you do not obey, and if you have true faith you will always obey. All throughout history God has looked for a people who would draw near to Him in faith. He must have this so that He in turn can draw near to us.
This brings me to the third point I mentioned last week in becoming hot for God. Prayer! If you’re hungry for God you will be one that loves to pray. God is calling us into fellowship with Himself and we ought to respond to His wishes. We were created for this very purpose – to communicate with God through prayer, and before our Lord Jesus died He promised us a gift to help get this job done. This gift to you and I is the precious Holy Spirit. He lives in each and every one of God’s true children in a measure, but as I’ve been saying He desires us to be filled with His fullness. How full of God do you want to be? Let’s look at Acts chapter 2 and see what happened to a group of people that drew near to God according to the Master’s command.
When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4
You must realise that each of the 120 gathered had the Holy Spirit in them when they first believed. In this case though, He was not only in them but they were filled with Him. They aligned themselves with the Lord’s purposes and they were filled, with the outward evidence of speaking with other tongues.
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
It was not until after Jesus entered into glory that this gift was poured out, with the ‘upper room’ group the first to receive. This experience of being filled with the Spirit had such a dramatic impact on their city. Through their witness thousands were saved and many miraculously healed and delivered from the curse in just the first few days alone. This gift from heaven of the baptism of the Holy Spirit has been far underrated by the modern day Church. Jesus died so that we can have this! This gift is available to every believer and it is a major part of His divine purpose for each and every life.
This method of prayer and communication with God is pure an unadulterated. It is a direct link between heaven and earth via this wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit. He is with us to be our teacher and our guide and desires us to be filled with Himself – you and I filled with His Power!!! This is not my purpose of this Ps Heart series to teach on the Holy Spirit and His gifts, but I want you to know enough about it, or to be reminded of it, because it is vitally necessary if we are to draw near to God… as He wants us to.
Folks this is not about what we want, but about what He wants! He wants to fill you with His power and my question to you is; will you do what it takes to get full? A big part of what will be required of you and I in the days ahead will be praying and communicating with God in this way – other tongues. You and I need help and this is one of the major ways He has planned in helping us draw near. Let us purpose in our hearts not to just do this from time to time, but to be diligent at it and make it our lifestyle. Let me close with these few portions of God’s Word. Please meditate on them and let them penetrate your heart and illuminate your mind.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27
For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries… For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 1Corinthians 14:2, 14-15
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying
in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 20-21
David Pearce
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That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:16-19