They are reaching out to God, perhaps, as fully as they have light. But like Apollos they need to be taught the way of God more adequately (Acts 18:26). (Google image, Filled with the Spirit)
We do not live a Christian life until we are born of God. We do not live a Spirit-filled life until we are filled with the Spirit. However, having made the total surrender of self, the complete consecration of ourselves as children of God, we can be filled with the Spirit as we appropriate His fullness by faith.
Then as long as we keep open to the Spirit by obedience and appropriating faith, we can receive new infillings of the Spirit, new outpourings, new floodings of our innermost being from time to time as we need it and as we ask God.
The important decisive first step is that of obediently putting away all that might hinder the Spirit's working, separating ourselves from all of which the Spirit convicts us by His searching light, yielding ourselves in a totality of surrender that yearns for all that God's grace can do in our lives, and joyfully claiming by faith all God's gracious promises.
We must be emptied of self before we can be filled with the Spirit. Our carnal self-will must be crucified with Christ. Then we will enter into that new victoriousness of Christian experience which has been described in so many ways: the deeper life, the higher life, the crucified life, the victorious life, the holy life, or the life of rest.
This gracious and definite experience is related to growth. But it is not simply a matter of growth. We often do not sense our need of the total commitment, the deeper cleansing, the mightier infilling of the Spirit until we have walked humbly with God for some time. Yet we feel through the Spirit's guidance, the need of something more and deeper from God.
Praising God for all He has already done for us, we may be conscious of weaknesses which we know God can change by His power, defeats which we know He can transform into victory, and perhaps defilements which we know Christ can cleanse by His blood.
We know we are indwelt by the Spirit, but we realize the Spirit could and should possess us more completely. We now understand what Christ implied in John 14:17 regarding the Holy Spirit.
Before the disciples had their Pentecost, He contrasted the relationship they presently had with the Spirit with that which they should have after Pentecost: "He lives with you and will be in you."
Be encouraged. The Spirit is leading you to a new step and degree of consecration so that the lordship of Christ within you may be more nearly total than you ever dreamed possible. The Spirit is making you hungry for what He longs to do within you.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.
Ablaze for God
#102 Definiteness of the Infilling
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 298- 299) ZondervanPublishingHouse
How Native Americans Made Me Rich
By Ron Hutchcraft
By Ron Hutchcraft
"I owe Native Americans so much. We all do.
They helped the Pilgrims stay alive.
They helped create our Constitution with their model of representative government. They helped in every war our country's fought - in larger numbers per capita than any other ethnic group in America. And they helped me."
Let's pray:
Father, as believers in Jesus, we have Your Spirit within us. We understand that having made a total surrender of ourselves, and making a complete consecration of ourselves as Your children, we can be filled with Your Spirit as we seek Your fullness by faith.
May we keep open to Your Spirit by obedience and appropriating faith, and receive new infillings, new outpourings, new floodings of our innermost being from time to time as we need it and as we ask You for it.
Help us put away all that might hinder the Spirit's working, separating ourselves from all which He convicts us of by His searching light, yielding ourselves in a total surrender to all You promise us.
We praise You for all You've already done for us, and may we be conscious of weaknesses which we know You can change by Your power. May our defeats be transformed into victory, and any defilements be cleansed by Christ's blood.
We are encouraged that Your Spirit is leading us to a new step and degree of consecration of the lordship of Christ within us. We look forward to receiving more than we ever dreamed possible.
We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Father, as believers in Jesus, we have Your Spirit within us. We understand that having made a total surrender of ourselves, and making a complete consecration of ourselves as Your children, we can be filled with Your Spirit as we seek Your fullness by faith.
May we keep open to Your Spirit by obedience and appropriating faith, and receive new infillings, new outpourings, new floodings of our innermost being from time to time as we need it and as we ask You for it.
Help us put away all that might hinder the Spirit's working, separating ourselves from all which He convicts us of by His searching light, yielding ourselves in a total surrender to all You promise us.
We praise You for all You've already done for us, and may we be conscious of weaknesses which we know You can change by Your power. May our defeats be transformed into victory, and any defilements be cleansed by Christ's blood.
We are encouraged that Your Spirit is leading us to a new step and degree of consecration of the lordship of Christ within us. We look forward to receiving more than we ever dreamed possible.
We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Today's Bible verses-
1 John 5:4, 5, 12 (NKJV) "For whatever is born of God
overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has
overcome the world—our faith. (v.5) Who is he who
overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus
is the Son of God. (v.12) He who has the Son has life;
he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."
1 John 4:4 (NKJV) "You are of God, little children, and
have overcome them, because He who is in you is
greater than he who is in the world."
He will give you another helper, that He may abide
with you forever, (v.17) even the Spirit of truth, whom
the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him
nor know Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with
you and will be in you. (v.18) I will not leave you orphans;
I will come to you."
Today's quotes-
~ Billy Graham- "There is also a sense in which sanctification is progressive. I grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion—it is a daily process whereby I grow to be more and more like Christ. When we start out, we begin as a baby does in physical life. We must be fed on the simple things of the Bible, and we learn to walk in our Christian life gradually."
(Billy Graham's THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS. p. 95 in the library selection by son, Franklin Graham).
~ Samuel Chadwick- "The conviction deepens - that the supreme need of the church is the spirit of prayer. There are many other needs but the need of prayer transcends them all. If only the church of Christ could be impelled to prayer there would be an end to barrenness and failure. It is the lack of prayer that lies at the root of all our troubles and there is no remedy but in prayer."
[Taken from Herald of His Coming newspaper, Vol 77, No 11 (923), p. 7. Used by permission.]
Today's question-
What is it that overcomes the world?
1 John 5:4 tells us our faith overcomes the world. Our walking in obedience to what the Lord has shown us to do, will increase our faith to overcome whatever meets us as challenges during the day.
God gives us the capacity to love beyond ourselves. Our hands of love reach out to others to encourage them in their individual problems; sometimes with a gentle touch.
Our submitting to one another in love demonstrates Christ's love. He submitted Himself when a child, to His parents as His earthly authority figures, and learned obedience. He became an example to all of us.
We're not to allow our frailty to keep us from obeying God when He's shown us what He wants us to do. With His help, the effective impact we'll make, can also lead others to trust Him for their lives.
Upcoming posts-
Focus
24th- Saturday's post by Lee Forbes
#103 Testimonies of the Infilling- Part 1
27th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
#104 Testimonies of the Infilling- Part 2
29th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
Blessing in the Mess
12/1 Saturday's post by Monika Brands
Helpful ways the Lord helped me in my marriage.
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