Heart Tracks - Filled

"Be filled with the Spirit...singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5:18....."When the vessels were full.....she said unto her son, 'Bring me yet a vessel.' And he said to her, 'There are no more vessels.' And the oil stayed." 2 Kings 4:6...."The oil of God's Spirit flows according the measure man has prepared for God." Watchman Nee...."Have you ever heard people say they are experiencing a dry spell in their Christian life? What are they saying? Are they saying that the Lord ran out of water?" Henry Blackaby

In Ephesians 5, when Paul calls his hearers to "be filled with Spirit," the Greek translates to "be being filled." As Nee writes, "Allow yourselves to be continually made full." This is not a "sometime thing" or something that happens after an especially good worship experience. This is a way of life. It is to be our way of life in Christ. Is it?

There is no judgement involved here, but Blackaby's questions must be answered. I have certainly had dry spells in my walk with Him. You have as well, but were those times, are those times, a result of His having no water, no oil to provide us? Or, are they due much more to our not, for whatever reason, allowing ourselves to be made full? Have circumstances, feelings, or a myriad of other things, kept us from the place of experiencing the reality of His Spirit filled life? Jesus told His disciples that He had food to eat that they knew nothing about. What do we know about such food, such water, such oil? What do we really know about the ministry and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in His Church? Could it possibly be that the most missing Person in our day to day lives as well as the corporate worship of the Church is the Holy Spirit Himself? It's only the empty vessel that may receive the oil. How empty are the vessels that are our lives and that which is the Church?

Nee says that the oil flows according to the measure we have prepared the vessel to receive it. What's the preparation? Emptiness. Empty of self, of preconceived notions and expectations. Empty of ambition, control, mistrust.....of what the Word calls....flesh. Into such empty vessels, people, churches, will the oil, water, and bread of the Holy Spirit pour out and be given to. When we are continually empty of ourselves, and all that the self-life yields, we can then live out Ephesians 5 and continually be made full. When our yearning is for the oil of His Spirit, a yearning above all yearnings, we will be made full. When our thirst is for the water of His Life, and not the soda pop the flesh so craves, that thirst will be quenched. We will begin to know and partake of the food Christ speaks of. Food we once knew nothing of.....but now desire with all of our heart.

What might happen if in our lives, homes, and church fellowships, we ceased to gorge ourselves on the soda pop and junk food of the world and the flesh, and began to hunger and thirst for the Spirit and Life, the oil, water, and bread that the Father provides in Christ, through His Holy Spirit? He has no lack in His supply. The lack is always within us. It all starts with an empty vessel. Is that vessel you and me?

Blessings,
Pastor O