The reason for writing about the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit is to remind everyone what Jesus had to say to His disciples about the Holy Spirit and the effect of being filled with the Holy Spirit had on the early church. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:7&13 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. However, when He, the Spirit of Truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears will speak; and will tell you of things to come”. Also in John 14:16-17 Jesus said: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you”. I understand very clearly that God so loved the world that He gave His son Jesus to die on the cross and that He rose again that I may have eternal life. I also know that God so loved the church that He gave her the Holy Spirit to equip and empower Her to be the bride of Christ. Jesus told His disciples in John 7:38-39 “He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart (innermost being) will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing on Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified”. Jesus makes it very clear that being filled with the Holy Spirit is a life-giving experience. Rivers speaks of major life coming from within the believer and that life is there to impact people. The other thing the Jesus said was that those who believe in Him would receive the Holy Spirit. One of the final words that Jesus said to His disciples is recorded in Acts 1:4-5 “ And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which He said ‘You have heard of me, for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’”. Even though Jesus had empowered His disciples and sent them out to heal the sick and to cast out devils which they did and came back rejoicing, they were told to wait to receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4 says “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues (their heavenly language) as the Spirit gave them utterance”. The people of the upper room were never the same again and turned the then-known world upside down. I would like to remind you that this speaking in tongues was not one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 but what Jesus wants us to experience every day. I am encouraged to know that it is Jesus and my Heavenly Father are the ones who expect me to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
i think the Holy Spirit has taken a back seat in many christians’ lives
I think it’s interesting that Jesus himself said it is to our advantage that he ascended back into heaven so that we could recieve the holy spirit. I could think of countless times in my life where I’ve thought, if only Jesus was with me right now physically. I definitely think many christians aren’t having a rivers of living waters experience, even many christians who are going to pentacostal churches. I find that so many christians are relying on God to get by in this life and are waiting for the next life instead of becoming love and allowing God to transform who they are. I was listening to Dan Mohler and he said a dead giveaway of this is that you ask people how they’re doing and they tell you their two biggest trials and a keep me in prayer, but the gospel isn’t a survival kit. People aren’t living through the power of the Holy Spirit anymore, even though revival will always require the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit we’re only offering people eternal life one day when we die. Instead of living like it’s heaven on earth right now.