In The Shadow Of God

  

The first mention of a person filled with the Holy Spirit in Scripture was Bezalel. He was called upon to head up a building project for Moses. His assignment was to build God a house that He might dwell among His people. God revealed what He wanted that house to look like, but it would take a special gift of wisdom to know "how" to get it done. That is where Bezalel came into the picture. He was given supernatural wisdom to complete the task with artistic excellence. It was wisdom that qualified him to take on this assignment, and it was wisdom that enabled him as an artisan or master craftsman to design and build what was in God's heart. 

And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, ⁴ to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, ⁵ in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. Exodus 31:3-5 

Artistic design, excellence, and inventive work are a few of the characteristics of wisdom in this passage. That is part of what being filled with the Spirit looked like in Moses' day. The New Testament adds the power element, because every believer now has access to the miracle realm through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This new emphasis does not abolish the original revelation of the subject, but uses it as a foundation to build upon. If we combine the two we end up with believers who walk in wisdom, making practical contributions to the needs of society, who also confront the impossibilities of life through the provisions of the cross, bringing solutions through supernatural display of miracles, signs, and wonders. Perhaps it is these two things working in tandem that should be considered the balanced Christian life.            

 Jesus sets a standard with this statement John the Baptist was the greatest of all Old Testament Prophets. He didn't do any miracles that we know of. His ministry was gloriously necessary, but not one we'd normally compared to some of the more spectacular prophets like Elijah or Daniel. Yet the One who knows all says he's the greatest. There is a truth contained in this passage that helps us to see our potential from heaven's perspective. It is such a wonderful truth that all of hell has made a priority of trying to keep us from its simplicity.  With that in mind, a more startling bit of news comes next, He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. He wasn't saying that the people in heaven were greater than John. There's no purpose for such a statement. He was talking about a realm of living that was soon to become available to every believer. John prophesied of Christ's coming and went so far as to confess his personal need of it.

 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11

Jesus came to be baptized ... John tried to prevent Him.

And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” Matthew 3:14

 John confessed his personal need of Jesus' baptism. Not one of the Old Testament prophets, not even John, had what was about to be offered to the least of all saints. It is the baptism in the Holy Spirit that became God's goal for mankind. The baptism in the Holy Spirit makes a lifestyle available to us to which not even John had access. Jesus whetted our appetite for this lifestyle through His example, then He gave us the promise of its availability.

Living a life filled with the Spirit of God is the only possible way we can consistently bring others into an encounter with God. Maintaining an awareness of Him, with the willingness to do whatever He wants, To illustrate what it looks like to be full of the Holy Spirit, take an unopened water bottle. Ask the question, "Is this water bottle full?" And of course, the answer is yes. It is full by the acceptable standards set by the manufacturer. But it isn't really full, at least not as full as it could be. Then open the bottle and pour into it from another bottle until it overflows. Everybody seems to get the illustration quickly. It is only full when it is over-flowing, fullness is measured in the overflow. It's the same for us. Being filled with the Spirit does not point to an experience we might have had a certain number of years ago. It's not measured by what we contain, but by what flows from us. Only in the continual overflow of His presence through our lives are we truly full of the Holy Spirit. And it's in that condition that we are most likely able to bring others into an encounter with God. The concept of His flowing from us might be a little abstract for some. But the idea has its roots in Jesus' teaching to His disciples. 

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38,39 

The picture He gives us in this passage is profound. He is teaching us what happens when we minister in His anointing, what happens when God has His way through us. It's like a river flowing from us. And that river is the Holy Spirit. It couldn't be clearer. He flows from us. And this time, the picture is not of a water bottle to contain Him. He is in us as a river to impact the spiritual geography around us. He lives in us, but He wants out. He is in us as a river, not a lake. He is a flowing presence, carrying the heart of the Father, desiring to saturate the land with the works of Jesus.

 Is the baptism in the Holy Spirit a one-time event? Do we receive the prayer language and that’s it?  

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, ³⁰ by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
³² Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. ³³ And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:29-33

We find from these scriptures that the same disciples were being refilled. So can we say one baptism, many fillings. Why? We leak. Many who speak in tongues think they are full of the Holy Spirit. Being full of Holy Spirit is not evidenced in tongues; it is evidenced by being full. How do you know when a glass is completely full? It runs over. Peter on the day of Pentecost is filled with Holy Spirit. In Acts 4, Peter joins many others in a prayer meeting. Their overwhelming expression was to cry out for more. Peter prayed for more. He did not pray for relief in the midst of persecution, but instead for more boldness, that expression that sometimes offends, so that he could go deeper into the realms of darkness and pull out more victims. 

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31

 In Acts 2, Peter is filled. In Acts 4 he needs to be refilled. Why? If you are doing this right, you must get filled often. There is one baptism. But we are to live in such a way that we give away all we get, while our capacity for Him increases. When we live full of the Holy Spirit, experiencing overflow, only more of Him will do. Needing to be refilled is not a sign of something gone wrong. Continual dependence on more is a good thing.

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