4 Comments

1. rhodes1 says:

   January 28, 2010 at 5:50 pm

   To be filled with the HOly Spirit starts with a desire. I want to clear it up when you are saved at salvation the Holy Spirit comes upon you but you do not have the actually full filling of him yet. Read Acts 2, in this book they tarry for it and read Acts 10 they received by hearing the gospel preached and read Acts 19 they received by the laying of hands from a man of God and each time you noticed they all spoke with unkown tongues this is the evidence that you are filled with the baptism of the Holy spirit and it is still for us today and it has not fade away. So it is several ways to be filled with the Holy Spirit. But you must have to ask for the Holy Spirit read Luke 11:9 or 9:11 and you must be saved before you can be filled with the Holy Spirit.
2. Rkrejcir says:

   January 29, 2010 at 7:26 pm

   aee Numbers 11; Joel 2:28-29; John 7:37-39; Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1;14:26-33

   What this means for us, the role of the Spirit, and the main things you need to concern yourself with and ask:

   1. Is the Spirit at work in my life, helping me to produce obedience and faith?

   2. Is the Spirit at work in my life, helping me to subdue sin, and moving me to produce more character? Is He removing from me what is in Galatians 5:19-21 and producing what is in Galatians 5:22-26? These are the Fruits of the Spirit, which are the evidence of the Spirit at work, happening in me! Notice what is missing! Tongues!

   3. Is the Spirit at work in my life, helping me produce praise in all aspects and moments of my life, not just on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.? Is my life filled with Him, modeling His character so my heart, mind, and mouth worship Jesus Christ?

   4. Is the Spirit at work in my life, helping me produce courage, so that I am overcoming my fears–even taking risks for the cause of Christ?

   5. Is the Spirit at work in my life, helping me produce an attitude of what is really important? Am I seeing that speaking in tongues, and the gift of prophecy are not significant, as compared to Galatians 5:22-26, that growing in maturity and character is important, and that we should not even seek tongues (1 Cor. 14)? Yes, tongues are still for today, and are a sign of God’s grace. However, the other gifts are much more precious and pleasing to Christ, and are real evidence that the power of God is working in us! If tongues happen, then embrace it, as called for in Scripture. Just do not go out and seek it!

   Here is what you need to do as outlined by Scripture to receive His empowerment for ministry:

   Step 1: Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!

   Sounds like, duh! But, remember, you cannot accomplish anything in the Kingdom of God without God working in you (Rom. 10:5-13)! You have to be the people of God to do the work of God. This is the first, essential step towards receiving His Spirit; you have to be right with God! You have to have accepted, by faith, the work of Christ on your behalf, His atoning death for you, that saves you from your sins. This cannot be just an intellectual exercise; it has to be rooted in your heart and Will so that it affects all aspects of your existential life and being! He is Lord. His Will is supreme (Gal 2:20-21; Phil. 3:10). The fullness of the Spirit will be withheld from you if this has not transpired because your pride will block your mind from seeing Him. Remember, before you came to the Lord, the Holy Spirit was already at work in you illuminating you, and then became complete in you by His saving Grace. Thus, you must have already received the Holy Spirit before you can be given the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an empowerment for ministry. In Reformed understanding, by Faith alone you have received Christ (Sola Fide), and you have also received the Spirit (John. 16:16f; Col. 2:10). Christ is present wherever the Spirit is present, as there is one God! Hence, there is no second work of Grace; just more power for ministry!

   Step 2: You must renounce all of your Sins!

   This means removing what is in Galatians 5:19-21, and producing what is in Galatians 5:22-26, the Fruits of the Spirit, which are the evidence of the Spirit at work, happening in us! We must make a clear-cut choice between the Holy Spirit and unholy sin. Which will rule our hearts, minds, and Will? At the same time, we must be aware of our ever-present sinful nature. Although it is covered by Christ’s atonement, we must make the commitment to fight it and remove it though confession, prayer, and being held accountable (1 John. 1:8). This is accomplished by our confession and repentance, which means we turn away from the sin and do not do it again. This is the indispensable aspect of the Christian life that is so ignored today. It is not only the opening into the life of maturity, faith development, and further outgrowth of real discipleship, but also what God expects of every Christian! Christ centered confession is to be constantly surrendering fully to God and renouncing all of our sin. We will then grow in maturity and faith, and receive the blessing of the Spirit of more empowerment for ministry. This is not confession about us; it is seeking His Lordship, with our focus upon Christ. This will be a struggle. But, remember, He gives us the power to even overcome our sins–not that we have renounced sin, but that Christ saves us from it (Heb. 4:14-16)!

   Step 3: Commit to a life of Obedience!

   Acts 5:32 tells us, The Holy Spirit whom God has given to them that obey him. 1 John 3:23, This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another. The goal of the Christian life is to obtain perfect surrender of our Will to His as the primer work of Sanctification. This is the result of having what Christ has done for us impact all aspects of our life. Obedience is a result of our trust and commitment that forms out of gratitude for what He has done for us. The Holy Spirit is given to all those who are in Christ. The Baptism of the Spirit is given to help us in ministry to glorify God, and that gift is given, as we see from Scripture, to those who obey Him. Through your faith, obedience, and through His purpose, He will impact you so He can impact others through you.

   Step 4: Thirsting after Christ

   We always need to understand we can do nothing to be meritorious in receiving His Grace or favor. But, out of our response of gratitude, we can receive His blessings and empowerment for further service. The Spirit is alive and well in our lives as Christians, from the start of our new life to eternity to come. We must realize that our receptively is blocked by our refusal to yield and surrender, as well as by our pride and busyness. His strength and power remain the same. It is we who change, so He can work in us more. He can also impart to us extra power, but this is rare. This translates into our Sanctification and growth in Him, and we should see a yearning for more–more of Him in our Life, more of Him working though us to the lives of others. This is the thirst after His righteousness and the willingness for Christ to do a work in us (John. 7:37-f.). The key is your desire to be pure after His heart, and not your own, to be so for the glory of God, and not for your own. You must desire the baptism with the Holy Spirit for becoming more mature in the faith, for being more open for Him to work in you so that you may honor God with more effective service. If you are seeking it to get a new power or a new influence on others, you are serving yourself, not God! The whole purpose of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is to point to Christ’s work, and to help others understand and apply it to their lives.

   Step 5: Ask Christ for it!

   If you feel you have the first four steps down and nothing is happening, did you ask why (Luke 11:13; James 4:2)? Through faithful prayer, ask Christ to allow you to grow close to Him, and become humble so to be receptive. But beware: when you ask God for this, He will give it to you! Be specific in your prayers. Do you see a need, and a way that God could use you? Then ask for the ability and help to do it. Be open to other areas of need you may not yet have considered. Through prayer, seek His blessing. If it does not come, do not fret. It may not be time, or His Will. Be patient. He is in charge! We already have His indwelling; you seek empowerment for ministry, and this is recurring, so, pray constantly. As new situations and needs come up, so will be the need to go to Him for extra power. Seek this urgently, fervently, importantly, and purely! Remember, the focus is on preparing yourself, not just trying to get a quick fix from God. You must have His glory and ministry in mind before He will use you effectively.

   The Holy Spirit’s ministry is greatly needed in the world today. So, we need to seek it in all of its fullness. It is for the church today, and it is for you. In many situations, it is a matter of survival. As you ask for His empowerment, expect to receive it, not because you are special or worthy, but because of the urgency of the need, and the certainty of His promise. At the same time, do not be disappointed if it does not happen. Sometimes it does not happen. We can fail; we can die. We are to seek Him, and keep our focus on our Lord. Remember, you are still in Him, and in His plan!

   Step 6: Faith

   Why is faith listed last? Should it not be first? The definition of faith is, trusting in Christ who was crucified for you; it is not, expecting God to give you whatever you ask! He is not a divine bellhop! It is last because it is inferred in Step One, and when we go through all of the steps, we come full circle. It is by faith we are to pray definitely and earnestly to be willing and open for Christ to use us. At the same time, we have to have the awareness to confidently expect Christ to use us. He does not use every Believer in the way each would like to be used. His plans are better. Rely on faith to tell you that your confidence is in Him, and not what He gives or does for or through you. If you do not get what you want, praise God, because it probably was not good for you! Our confidence is that God has promised and has given His Spirit to all who believe, which is far more than we deserve or could even imagine! The confidence to expect a blessing must be rooted in the true seeking of His Will and purpose, not what we think or desire.

   Sometimes, those of us who grew up in non-Pentecostal denominations may not be sensitive to the Spirit, or may not have been taught to recognize the work of God. How do I discern the Spirit? How can I be filled with the Spirit? By trusting that the God of hope really reigns (Matthew 10:29). Pray, declare your faith to the Lord with passion and conviction. Then, prepare yourself to be yielding and receptive to His leading, which is the fullness and outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life. Ask Him for the ability to discern His Spirit!

   We need to understand that even as a mature disciple, we will not stay ‘full’ of the Spirit all the time just from our feelings and receptivity, nor will we stay joyful and submissive to God, and empowered for service all of the time. However, He stays the same. It is we who are up and down in our spiritual journey, in our awareness and maturity. This is because our sinful nature is still there, as is Satan and our emotions–all competing for dominance. However, our goal to be mature in Christ is to seek His outpouring as our great longing. As a dear pants for the flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God (Psalm 42:1,2-5, 11; 43:5). In order to quench that thirst, we must be willing to persevere, and fight the fight of faith.

   The power of the Holy Spirit will empower us to be His witness, not the desire for show or for personal benefit! We cannot let our experiences replace truth, so, we must interpret our experiences in light of the Scriptures, not the other way around!

   http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=32347
3. Ephraimjr says:

   May 2, 2010 at 8:33 am

   Im tired and my faith weak please become real to me Lord
4. valerie palmer says:

   January 26, 2011 at 11:54 am

   I am tired too. My spirit is week please Lord come into my heart. This is hard for me.