Disciples are Spirit-Filled

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, 

that he may abide with you for ever;  

John 14:16

We have to believe on God as the scripture says.

Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.  Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?  What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)  Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, of a truth this is the Prophet.  John 7:34-40

We don’t have to seek prophets; just believe what you read in the bible.  While Jesus was in the earth, the Holy Spirit had not yet been given.  The disciples were not filled with the spirit until Jesus had ascended.  The need for the Holy Spirit within them was not necessary while Jesus was among the disciples because Jesus was the Holy Spirit.

The physical manifestation of God in your life is His Holy Spirit.   If you are a disciple, you must be spirit filled.  Many say they are ‘saved’ but are they spirit-filled?  Do you have the fruit of the spirit?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

Are you adorned with the armour of God?   

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.   And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:14-18

It is the power of God, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us, that allows and helps us to live Christ-like.

We need the Holy Spirit to live in the earth not in heaven.  We live in the Holy Spirit to help us prepare for Heaven.  Having the Holy Spirit allows us to be obedient to the will of God.  The Holy Spirit should supersede your will and allow you to be obedient to God’s will.

The Holy Spirit fights for you.

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,  Jude 20

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  1 John 4:4

This is how we build in the spirit and tear down our flesh

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.   Romans 8:26

Satan is the prince of the air; therefore watch what you speak in the air.

Praying in the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues) should be done daily.  Tongues is an exclusive language between you and God; created for uniqueness among us.

You can tell when someone is not saturated in the Holy Spirit. 

For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:  2 Corinthians 2:15 

The best thing we can do is let the world smell our godly scent which is a pure, lovely scent.  We should let the world know who we are.

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.  Mark 8:38

Everyone should know who Jesus is through you.

The Holy Spirit gives us power.

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  Acts 1:8

We must be on one accord.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.   And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  Acts 2:1-4

We each can get that individual sound but what we are desiring is the corporate sound.

Everyone’s experience with God is unique in that our tests are tailor made.  To achieve the corporate sound, there can be no isms or schisms in the body.  Our ego’s must go.

Get grounded in the word and pray in the Holy Spirit.  Pour out your problems to God.  

   

I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.  Psalms 142:1

Talk to God about your spiritual matters.  Learn to love the Holy Spirit.  Stop being lazy and spend time with God.  Use the 4D process if necessary: 

à    Duty,

à    Discipline,

à    Desire,

à    Delight

You can’t lead people where you have never been.

Excerpts from Word Enrichment

Bishop Joel C. Lofton

Biblical Studies

03/26/20