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Filling of the Holy Spirit

 

Filling of Holy Spirit

What God chooses, He cleanses.

        What God cleanses, He molds.

        What God molds, He fills.

        What God fills, He uses.

— I. S. Baxter

 

Filling of Holy Spirit

A. J. Gordon, one of the founders of Gordon Conwell Divinity School, told of being out walking and looking across a field at a house. There beside the house was what looked like a man pumping furiously at one of those hand pumps. As Gordon watched, the man continued to pump at a tremendous rate; he seemed absolutely tireless, pumping on and on, up and down, without ever slowing in the slightest, much less stopping.

        Truly it was a remarkable sight, so Gordon started to walk toward it. As he got closer, he could see it was not a man at the pump, but a wooden figure painted to look like man. The arm that was pumping so rapidly was hinged at the elbow and the hand was wired to the pump handle. The water was pouring forth, but not because the figure was pumping it. You see, it was an artesian well, and the water was pumping the man!

        When you see a man who is at work for God and producing results, recognize that it is the Holy Spirit working through him, not the man’s efforts that are giving results. All he has to do-and all you have to do-is keep your hand on the handle. ── Michael P. GreenIllustrations for Biblical Preaching

 

HOLY SPIRIT, infilling

Moody was to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."── Source Unknown.

 

Filling of Holy Spirit

”To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with one who is already there, in our hearts. Take up a sponge and while it is in you hand squeeze it. In that condition, plunge it in water and submerge it, keeping it in there. It is now in the water and the water is in it. As you hold it in the water, you open your hand, and as you do so the water fills all the pores which you release in this way. It is now filled with the water. When we receive Christ we are born anew and put into that sphere where the Holy Spirit is operating and the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us! (Romans 8:9)”— Roy Hession

 

Filling of Holy Spirit

Two Texans were traveling together on vacation. They decided to stop at one of the natural wonders of the world, Niagara Falls. As they took the beautiful drive from Lake Erie to the falls they were filled with admiration and awe at the size and power of the Niagara River. They were particularly impressed with the rapids just above the falls and stopped there to look. From there they could see the massive mist cloud that always hangs over the precipice.

        One of the men, having already been there, said, “Come and I’ll show you the greatest unused power in the world.” Taking him to the foot of Niagara Falls, he said, “There is the greatest unused power in the world.”

        “Ah, no, my friend, not so!” was the reply of the other. “The greatest unused power in the world is the Holy Spirit of the living God.” ── Michael P. GreenIllustrations for Biblical Preaching

 

Filling of Holy Spirit

Many people ask, “How do I know the Holy Spirit is living in me?” I know in the same way that I know there is music on a cassette tape, even though I don’t see the music on the tape. I can know that in either of two ways. I can believe the label that says there is music, or I can play the tape and hear it. We can know the Holy Spirit indwells us by believing God, who tells us in his Word, or be seeing his results in our lives when we are obedient to him. ── Michael P. GreenIllustrations for Biblical Preaching

 

HOLY SPIRIT, infilling

Speaking to a large audience, D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass." After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit. ── Today in the Word, September, 1991, p. 30.

 

HOLY SPIRIT, infilling

A walk in the Spirit will of necessity be a walk in accordance with the Word the Spirit has inspired. The parallel between Eph 5:18-21 and Col 3:15-17 is significant. The same results are said to flow from being filled with the Spirit in the first cast, and being filled with the Word in the second. To remain filled with the Spirit, and thus enjoy His continuing sanctifying work, will mean continuing to be filled with the Word. The relationship is obvious. ── J.O. Sanders, Enjoying Intimacy with God, Moody, p. 91.

 

HOLY SPIRIT, infilling

"May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love and joy of God's presence and not a moment without the entire surrender of my self as a vessel for Him to fill full of His Spirit and His love." ── Andrew Murray.

 

HOLY SPIRIT, infilling

D.L Moody said, "I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled." ── J. Kuhatschek, Taking The Guesswork Out of Applying The Bible, IVP, p. 153ff.

 

HOLY SPIRIT, infilling

Finney wrote how God gave him mighty infillings of the Holy Spirit "that went through me, as it seemed, body and soul. I immediately found myself endued with such power from on high that a few words dropped here and there to individuals were the means of their immediate conversion. My words seemed to fasten like barbed arrows in the souls of men. They cut like a sword. They broke the heart like a hammer. Multitudes can attest to this...Sometimes I would find myself in a great measure empty of this power. I would go and visit, and find that I made no saving impression. I would exhort and pray with the same results. I would they set apart a day for private fasting and prayer...after humbling myself and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. This has been the experience of my life." ── W. Duewel, Touch the World Through Prayer, OMS, p. 232.