rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly" (Acts 4:31).
God fills us with His Spirit to empower us for ministry(Lk. 24:49). The Bible also calls this being "baptised in the Holy Spirit" (Mt. 3:11; Acts 1:5). This is not just a one time experience, but is meant to be an important part of our daily walk with God (Acts 4:8; 13:9,52).
Streams of Living Water
"'Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified" (Jn. 7:37-39).
We are not filled with the Holy Spirit for our own sake, but in order to minister to others. The living water is not just for us to drink but to flow out from us as streams of living water, touching other lives.
Two Ways of Ministry
There are two ways we can live life (Jer.17:5-8). There are also two ways we can minister. When the Lord rebuked Israel, He pinpointed two primary sins:
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water" (Jer.2:13).
The spring of living water
"O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water" (Jer.17:13).
The life of God is like a spring of water. It is constant, never drying up. God wants us to spend time in His presence each day, drawing from the spring of His life. As we are filled with God's Spirit, this spring will overflow in Spirit-filled ministry.
"...but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (Jn. 4:14).
Leaking cisterns
But many Christians have forsaken the spring of living water and "dug their own cisterns." A cistern is like a well, but has no independent source of water. The water must be brought from another place. Many Christians find that their life leaks. They go to church on Sunday, but by Monday all the joy, peace and power has leaked away. They have built cisterns modeled after the ways of this world (Jn.14:27).
We can only truly minister out of the spring of God's Spirit. If we try to minister to people in our own strength and ability, independent from God's Spirit, we will either dry up or burn out. Whether in life or in ministry, we too must learn the lesson that God taught Zerubbabel:
"...'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty" (Zec.4:6).
God fills us with His Spirit to empower us for ministry(Lk. 24:49). The Bible also calls this being "baptised in the Holy Spirit" (Mt. 3:11; Acts 1:5). This is not just a one time experience, but is meant to be an important part of our daily walk with God (Acts 4:8; 13:9,52).
Streams of Living Water
"'Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified" (Jn. 7:37-39).
We are not filled with the Holy Spirit for our own sake, but in order to minister to others. The living water is not just for us to drink but to flow out from us as streams of living water, touching other lives.
Two Ways of Ministry
There are two ways we can live life (Jer.17:5-8). There are also two ways we can minister. When the Lord rebuked Israel, He pinpointed two primary sins:
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water" (Jer.2:13).
The spring of living water
"O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water" (Jer.17:13).
The life of God is like a spring of water. It is constant, never drying up. God wants us to spend time in His presence each day, drawing from the spring of His life. As we are filled with God's Spirit, this spring will overflow in Spirit-filled ministry.
"...but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (Jn. 4:14).
Leaking cisterns
But many Christians have forsaken the spring of living water and "dug their own cisterns." A cistern is like a well, but has no independent source of water. The water must be brought from another place. Many Christians find that their life leaks. They go to church on Sunday, but by Monday all the joy, peace and power has leaked away. They have built cisterns modeled after the ways of this world (Jn.14:27).
We can only truly minister out of the spring of God's Spirit. If we try to minister to people in our own strength and ability, independent from God's Spirit, we will either dry up or burn out. Whether in life or in ministry, we too must learn the lesson that God taught Zerubbabel:
"...'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty" (Zec.4:6).
