The Holy Spirit’s Filling—Part 2

Posted on November 15, 2013 by KD Manes under God's Call

Is it possible to be a Christian, yet be unwise, unproductive, and asleep spiritually? The Apostle Paul thought so when he penned the following:

This is why it said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:14-17

What Is The Lord’s Will?

Paul continues: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery [wickedness]. Instead be filled with the Spirit.” – vs. 18

A synonym for filling is control. Paul is contrasting the negative influence/control of alcohol to the positive influence/control of the Holy Spirit.

Four Observations About The Spirit’s Filling

(Source: Tony Evans, The Promise)

God’s Command – Interestingly, there is no biblical command to be baptized by the Spirit or indwelt by the Spirit. Those are automatic blessings when we come to Christ through faith. But we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This relates to our daily experience of His influence. Our sincerity alone is not enough.
For Every Believer – Ephesians 5:18 is plural in the Greek text. Although the Spirit’s filling isn’t automatic, every believer is commanded to submit to the Spirit’s control.
God Does It – This command is passive: We are to “be filled,” not fill ourselves. We are the object of the action—filling of the Holy Spirit. If our soul is full of something other than the Holy Spirit, our life will be very unfulfilling. God has no provision for filling, satisfying, and giving us His power other than the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Keep It Up – This plural, passive command is also in the present tense. In Greek, this means to be a continuous process. Another translation could be rendered: “Keep on being filled with the Spirit.” Why? Sin, people, and circumstances take our attention away from God. But unlike a car emptied of fuel, the depletion of the Spirit’s filling doesn’t mean He has left us (Hebrews 13:5). Rather, depletion of His filling means our loss of experience and enjoyment of His full benefits.

Can you think of a time when you were spiritually asleep, drifting through life? What woke you up?

I’m learning a lot from this study and hope you are too. Next week I will explore the process of being filled and share an inspiring testimony from a brother blogger. So stay tuned!

Be blessed. Be filled . . . Rather, be filled and you will be blessed! 🙂

If you haven’t watched Billy Graham’s recent message, I encourage you to view it. His consistent, faithful witness is admirable.

Of Preteens and Curve Balls

Posted on July 5, 2013 by KD Manes under God's Call

“Mom, watching Grizzly bears are for little kids!”

I’m not sure when my boys first decided that being seen with me, their Mom, was uncool. But this morning was no exception.

Disgruntled may be a mild term when I “dragged” them out of the house. It’s an opportune time, I reasoned, for mother-son bonding. We had three hours to hang out during my daughter’s VBS session. However, I forgot the stores wouldn’t open for an hour.

STRIKE ONE.

Can’t go wrong with Italian Sodas.

HOME RUN! Oh, no . . . foul ball—a little more month left than money. Oops!

Well, the surprise library visit to watch the Guinness World Record holding magician will be a hit.

Guess I didn’t know the record he held was for bouncing bubbles. Read the fine print K.D.! Maybe the fine print also stated his primary audience—preschoolers. My boys didn’t crack a smile when he dangled nine spoons from one arm and one from his nose while pulling out a six foot spoon from his bag.

STRIKE TWO.

What’s on my windshield? A parking ticket?!

“Way to go, Mom!”

A few sparks erupted, but not the holiday ones.

STRIKE THREE. “You’re out!”

Good thing I imagined this Ump, or I might have tackled him!

Finally, we arrived home. Then I discovered . . .

my blouse is inside out! Lovely.

STRESS

We all experience stress—frustration in relationships, work, finances, sickness, unmet expectations, or just the daily grind.

The Apostle Paul shared the following while chained in jail:

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation . . . . I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13

Did he say in every situation?

Positive Paul—confined inside a smelly cell—knew excruciating poverty, abundant wealth, and everything in between. But he learned to find real joy independent of changing circumstances. How?

He threw all his energy into knowing and obeying Christ (Philippians 3:8, 12-13).

Paul also knew the guilt of striking out because he once persecuted Christians. But as Christ transformed him, he shared how to overcome the guilt of failure:

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” – 3:13

When our hope is in Christ, we can look forward to what God will help us become.

How do you respond to life’s curve balls? If you—like me—blow it, don’t give up. The game’s not over.

Let’s keep our eyes on the ball—Jesus Christ. He supplies inner strength and joy, even when facing unpleasant circumstances.

All For One

Posted on April 19, 2013 by KD Manes under God's Call

Before my 10 year-old attended camp, my husband and I told him: “Remember, you represent us.”

Translation: “Behave!”

Before the apostle Paul taught about spiritual gifts to the Ephesians, he admonished:

Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” – Ephesians 4:1

Translation: “Behave! You are Christ’s own. You represent the King. Therefore, be humble, gentle, patient, understanding, and peaceful.”

About five years earlier, Paul appealed to the Corinthian church to be unified. Their spiritual gifts had become symbols of spiritual power, causing rivalries instead of God’s intended purpose of building and edifying the church.

How important is unity to our Lord? On the threshold of His crucifixion, Jesus prayed for us―future believers:

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know you, (God the Father), sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” – John 17:22-23

Christ in Gethsemane (Christus in Gethsemane), oil painting by Heinrich Ferdinand Hofmann (Heinrich Hofmann). The original is at the Riverside Church (Riverside Church, New York City). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Paul continued on this thought:

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit―just as you were called to one hope . . . .―one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” – Ephesians 4:3-6

I counted nine ‘ones’ in the above two passages. Working together in unity is extremely important to God. Thankfully, our oneness doesn’t make us clones. Wouldn’t that be boring! God’s work involves many different individuals with a variety of gifts and abilities.

As the body of Christ―God’s church―we can accomplish far more together than we ever could individually.

God’s oneness of believers is opposite of society’s definition of being number one (Luke 14:19). By seeking God’s approval we can avoid the superstar syndrome.

How can the church be one and avoid division with our diversity? I would love to see your comments.

Training or Trying?

Posted on March 8, 2013 by KD Manes under Sanctification

Congratulations to the WA 1B State Champs―again! Their win marks five consecutive state championships. Although they possess much athletic talent, anyone who observes this team knows their success is crowned through their commitment to train.

DISCIPLINE … TIME … SACRIFICE.

A discipline is something you do even when you don’t feel like it. These girls played 80-plus games each summer. Their time spent practicing has resulted in smooth, automatic teamwork during pressured game situations. They are a lot of fun to watch.

I don’t know of an easy road to success. Consistent, hard work of correct training builds a strong framework in any arena, including spiritual growth. The apostle Paul admonishes us to train ourselves to be godly.

Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” – 1Timothy 4:7-8

How do we grow spiritually and pursue God’s holiness? Although God is never limited, He uses the following three things:

Circumstances – We will have trials. But …

In all things, God works for the good of those who love Him … to be conformed to the image of His Son.” – Romans 8:28-29

Relationships – (Hebrews 10:24-25)

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17

Spiritual Disciplines – Our growth isn’t automatic (Philippians 2:12). Our growth is:

intentional and incremental
personal and seasonal
relational and practical

What are the training habits of spiritual growth?

PRAYER – Mark 1:35

SCRIPTURE – Matthew 4:4

INTENTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS – Mark 3:14

FAITH – Matthew 9:29

God calls us to surrender to Him in order that we might become the person He desires. I love that, although we are told to “take up our cross and follow Christ” (Mark 8:34), His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matthew 11:30). And the blessings of being in Christ far outweigh being “out of Christ.”

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5

Meek simply means to be under God’s control.

The following video shows a horse trainer taming a wild mustang, a great illustration of God’s gentleness and patience as He works with us and within us.