Back to main Mail Topics list

Mail Topics

Question: How Are We Filled With the Spirit? 5/22/9

Answer:

Paul exhorted the Ephesians and also us to be filled with the Spirit of God and to express our love for the Lord through allowing the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself through our lives. His presence will be revealed in the way we treat others with evidence of the love of the Lord guiding our actions and attitudes.
 

Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

Eph 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Eph 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Eph 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them].

Eph 5:12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

Eph 5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

Eph 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is].

Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Eph 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
 

Act 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Act 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Act 1:4 And, being assembled together with [them], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, [saith he], ye have heard of me.

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Act 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

True to the Lord’s promise, the disciples did receive power when the Holy Spirit descended upon them in the Upper Room.

Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

Act 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Act 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

Act 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

Act 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

Act 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

Act 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

Act 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all [ye] that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

Act 2:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is [but] the third hour of the day.

Act 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

Act 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved..

Peter continued to preach a dynamic sermon about the love and power of God and of mankind’s need to repent of their sins, to accept Jesus’ sacrifice for their forgiveness and to be filled with the Spirit of the Lord. On that same day three thousand people accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. A few days later over five thousand more people began to follow Christ following Peter’s sermon after the spectacular healing of the lame man who sat begging at the Gate Beautiful before the temple.

After his instantaneous healing through the power of the Holy Spirit within Peter, the formerly lame man went leaping and rejoicing throughout the temple area, attracting the people who had seen him there for many years. They were so stunned by this incredible miracle that they listened intently to all that Peter had to say in his sermon. This proof of the power in Jesus’ Name, brought about through the Holy Spirit anointing caused them to completely devote their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.

After the infilling of the Holy Spirit the disciples began spreading throughout the country preaching the good news of Christ’s salvation and performing miracles in the Name of the Lord Jesus, just as Jesus had promised they would do:
 

Jhn 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Jhn 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Jhn 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].

Jhn 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Jhn 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Jhn 14:17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Jhn 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

During His three-year ministry Jesus encouraged every Believer to anticipate the infilling of the Holy Spirit Who would be with us, lead us and empower us to be witnesses to the love and glory of God. He emphasized that they were not to go out in His Name until they were filled with the Holy Spirit because it was only through the Holy Spirit’s presence and anointing that they could expect evidence of the power of God to be demonstrated through their ministries.
 

Jhn 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Jhn 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Jhn 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Jhn 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

Jhn 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Jhn 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Jhn 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Jhn 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you.

Jhn 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you.

The disciples discovered that these promises of Jesus to His followers were true, verified by the works the Holy Spirit performed through them as they believed on Jesus’ promises and claimed the evidence to follow their prayers. As recounted in the book of Acts, several groups of people received the infilling of the Holy Spirit after they believed on Jesus and became open to the Holy Spirit baptism. Through the infilling and anointing of the Holy Spirit great works were done in the Name of Jesus, and multitudes throughout the known western world received Jesus Christ as their Savior because of the evidence of the power in the Holy Spirit and in the Name of Jesus.

Examples of great anointings by the Holy Spirit are recorded throughout Church history as He continues to infill Believers, converting them into dynamic, fruitful workers for the Lord. In these last days of the church dispensation there are many more incidents of miracles, healings and even verified accounts of the dead’s being raised back to life after various periods of time being dead. The Holy Spirit stands ready to do His works through Believers as they dedicate their lives to serving the cause of Jesus Christ.

These miracles and healings are not for the sake of the spectacle but that people may know the love that the Lord has for humanity, for whose salvation, healing and blessings Jesus died. His heart is touched with the feeling of our sickness and infirmities: As part of His body, the church, we have the right to expect His works in our lives.
 

Hbr 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.

Hbr 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

Hbr 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Our goal should be that others will be blessed by the provision of needs and the salvation of masses of souls to the Kingdom of God. These goals of ministry are exhibited through a variety of approaches as the Holy Spirit anoints and inspires Believers to greater trust and willingness to dedicate everything to the cause of the Kingdom of God.

Paul addressed the workings of the Holy Spirit in I Corinthians chapters 12 through 14, with the emphasis on allowing the Holy Spirit to manifest His will and His power through our lives which should be dedicated completely to the Lord. His emphasis is on the fact that as the Holy Spirit infills the Believer all of the gifts of the Spirit will be manifested in the church to the glory of God.
 

1Cr 12:1 Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

1Cr 12:2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

1Cr 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

1Cr 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1Cr 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

1Cr 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

1Cr 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

1Cr 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

1Cr 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

1Cr 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

1Cr 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

1Cr 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is] Christ.

Not only should the gifts of the Spirit be manifested, but the fruit of the Holy Spirit should be evident through our lives,

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Earlier, Paul contrasted the works of the flesh, which we need to crucify as we devote ourselves to the Lord’s Spirit, living as Jesus lived as our example and pattern for us as His followers.

Gal 5:16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

As we confess our faults and failings to the Lord “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness,” I John 1:8,9. As we invite the Holy Spirit to search our thoughts and deeds for those kinds of attitudes and actions that bring shame to the Name of Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit is enabled to reveal areas in our lives of which we had been unaware as sources of offense before the Lord.

As we allow the searching of our minds and souls, in confession and repentance the Holy Spirit is able to present us before the Lord as sanctified, cleansed of unrighteousness and suitable vessels for the Holy Spirit. He cannot completely have control of our lives until we become willing to submit ourselves to the absolute will of God. We are said to be dead to sin, crucified with Christ. Through water baptism we are affirming that we have put our “old man” or sinful nature to death and have been spiritually resurrected into a new person in Christ Jesus. This act of voluntary submission to the will of God renders us as suitable recipients for the infilling of the Holy Spirit with the anointing for service that this empowerment brings.
 

Romans 6:11, “Likwewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace”

As we grow in Christ-likeness we are able to deny ourselves and to take up our cross to serve the Lord, just as Jesus, our example, did. We say, as Jesus did when praying in the garden of Gethsemane, “Not as I will, but as thou wilt. They will be done.”

As Benny Hinn has pointed out, we keep ourselves by faith “nailed to the cross with Christ,” thus maintaining our holiness before God, a fit vessel for the Holy Spirit, whose temple we are. This is symbolic with the practice of Old Testament priests to bind the carcass of the sacrificial animal to the altar with cords so as not to allow the animal to fall off the altar of sacrifice.

Through this complete dedication to the will of God we become acceptable servants to be filled with the Spirit of God, anointed and empowered for the work that God would have us perform through the salvation, power and might in His Name.

We are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the Lord at the instant of our salvation when we believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 10:9,10. The fullness of the infilling of the Holy Spirit occurs either immediately afterward or at a later date as we request the Lord Jesus Christ to baptize us in His Holy Spirit. This act of infilling or baptism in the Holy Spirit is demonstrated symbolically in the Catholic church at the candidate’s first communion when the priest breathes on him and states, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

This a symbolic, ceremonial demonstration but it is the intent of God that this should be followed through with spiritual submission to the Lord and acceptance of the Holy Spirit infilling. We then are said to be “Spirit-filled.” With the anointing that accompanies this infilling, signs that one is an active Believer in Jesus Christ should be evident by the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit expressed through us, just as they were in evidence in the life of Christ and of His early disciples.

Your comments or question

2/11/9
Overweight

> I am a --- year old mother battling the devil in many areas in my life. I feel as though I a losing. I am at a point where I can't even pray for myself or my family. I fight with depression often having more bad
> days than good. I am constantly beating myself up for not being all I know I need to be. I am overweight and unattractive. I have a wonderful husband and we have been blessed with two beautiful children.
> I know that I need to hand my burdens over to the Lord but I don't know how to do that. I feel as if there is just so much that I need to do and I don't know where to begin. I hate the city in which we live. The people here seem so cold and shallow. I battle with my weight with new
> diets that never work. ....
> I have a very good friend whose life often seems to be in turmoil and needs to unload on me about it. I have been trying to get things organized in my life but I have so much to do I just don't
> know where to begin. I often get geared up about things only to get overwhelmed by all the stuff that needs attention in my life. I have become so lost that I can't seem to find the Lord. I used to enjoy
> going to church but now I am really uncomfortable there feeling as if everyone is looking at me and how big I am. ....I really need HIS help but I don't feel comfortable going to Him myself.
 

Answer

Our hearts were touched by your poignant letter. As mothers of several children ourselves we know what it is to feel overwhelmed by the tasks that need attention when we are bogged down with many other imputs also demanding time and energy. You sound as if you are depressed. You should have a physical exam by your doctor first to determine if there is an illness that requires medical intervention. I’ll discuss this more at length at the end of this email. We encourage you to go directly to the Lord Jesus Christ for help with this since the Bible states that "There is one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ." We are admonished to "Cast your cares upon Him for He cares for you."

You do not need to feel hesitant to dump these problems on the Lord Jesus Christ, since He is always there with you and if anything, He feels sorry that you are NOT taking your concerns to Him daily and hourly. We are promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He means that literally. We are also promised in Philippians 4:19, that “My God shall provide for all of our needs, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” It sounds as if your friend is dragging you down with her problems when you have needs yourself that require addressing. Your friend is taking advantage of your sympathetic nature and using you for a sounding board. She needs to be directed to take her concerns directly to the Lord herself, although you can agree with her in prayer for God's help.

Perhaps she also needs medical attention. The Bible tells us that it is the Holy Spirit's duty to comfort, to guide and to convict of sin. He is faithful to provide that help if we just allow Him access into our spirits. We are told not to quench the Holy Spirit, and if we do not let Him into our lives through addressing our needs in prayer then He is blocked from significant intervention with these problems. As for possible medical intervention, there are many diagnoses that can explain your symptoms, but one that comes to mind immediately is an underactive thyroid.

Of course we cannot give medical advice from this website, but perhaps this should be explored with your doctor who can run simple tests to uncover any such problem. Some of the problems that can produce your problems include an underactive thyroid causing among other symptoms, not only tiredness but also thinning of the hair, constipation, weight gain, dry skin, feeling cold and intolerance to low temperatures, and a body temperature which is almost always less than what we call "normal" of 98.6. Some of the old-time doctors used body temperature as a diagnostic tool, believing that a body temperature that hovered around 97 or 97.6 on a more-or-less constant basis diagnostic of hypothyroidism which required medication.

Additionally, making sure that you are eating right is very important with any problem. Eating a balanced diet with a wide variety of vegetables, seafood, such as seaweed, kelp and fish, and using iodized sea salt are helpful in supplying the iodine and other nutrients required for the thyroid to function properly. Some of the homeopathic doctors recommend taking what they call "glandulars" which are dried organs of beef or pork, powdered and placed in capsules. I really cannot advise about that, however, since I’m not familiar with their complete protocol. I'm just pointing out information that is available in many lay journals.

The key, however, is to make certain that your medical doctor has done a thorough exam and has looked into some of the many possible causes. Your depression needs to be addressed, not only medically but also spiritually. The Bible says that "The joy of the Lord is our strength." If you have lost your joy in the Lord you definitely will be having physical and emotional symptoms. You need to get back into the Word by having a daily time of meditation, Bible reading, prayer and praise unto the Lord our God. We need daily to thank God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ who redeems us from the consequences of sinful human natures as we go to Him in confession, repentance and thanks. Again, depression can be a symptom of significant health problems that need to be investigated by a medical doctor. Some of the newer antidepressants offer great relief fairly quickly, such as the serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and do not cause as many serious side effects as the older MAO inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants. These, of course are only available as prescribed by a physician who first has done a thorough physical exam with electrical heart tracings and suitable laboratory tests. There are many advertisements for over-the-counter herbs, such as St. Johns Wort for depression, but I strongly believe that they should only be taken on the advice of a physician who has examined you, has done and continues to do laboratory tests that will assure that you are not being depleted of important electrolytes that are vitally necessary to prevent heart failure. This can occur when prescription drugs or over-the-counter supplements which cause water loss are taken. For this reason enlightened medical care is NECESSARY.

We have a whole barrage of new medications and even increased knowledge about vitamins, minerals and herbs that can help under appropriate medical guidance. If you are not taking at least a daily multiple vitamin and mineral supplement you should consider that as an option since, as everyone knows, in the interest of availability and convenience many of our foods have been depleted of vital nutrients. Extended shelf life is favored over nutritional content. Over time, the depletion of nutrients renders our foods less effective in preventing health problems.

You also need to be sure that you are not anemic, which may cause symptoms of tiredness. If anemic, as determined by lab tests, iron supplements may be required. Calcium in the form of calcium citrate or calcium asporonates may be indicated to prevent bone loss and good cardiac function, as well as magnesium, which unfortunately many doctors don't consider, even though it can have a dramatic effect on cardiac function and neurological status. Chronic fatigue may be the result of recurrence of former infections with such viruses that cause mononucleosis, hepatitis, etc. These viral infections may remain in the body and can cause recurrent symptoms repeatedly over time, resulting in fatigue. Magnesium is often helpful, as well as vitamin B-12, according to some doctors, by injection or sublingual (under the tongue-not with oral pills since poor absorption may be the primary problem) and vitamin E, B vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients. Only a doctor who stays current with the medical literature can diagnose this problem properly.

Failing to obtain adequate, restful sleep contributes greatly to these problems, and there are over-the-counter supplements that can help if your doctor suggests these. We strongly DISCOURAGE the taking of the by-prescription-only "sleeping pills" since these are addictive and can cause enormous problems and even worsen sleep problems over time. In any case, please know that the prayer group at Virtual Church is remembering you, your family and your associates in prayer, asking our Father God to attend your heart's cries for His help. We know that the Lord is listening to our prayers. God bless and guide you on a continuing basis. May your family members feel His love and protection and may you all be guided in His love and care.

Your comments or question

Back to main Mail Topics list
Top of page