Ephesians 5:18 ESV And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Acts 11:22-24 ESV The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. (23) When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, (24) for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

What kind of testimony do you want people to speak concerning your Christian life? What an incredible testimony Paul and Luke had of Barnabas. Barnabas was known as a man full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. Wow, incredible testimony of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ living in and through a man.

The ongoing question has been, "Do you really want to be filled with the Holy Spirit and receive all that He gives?" We said that first we must be thirsty for the things of God. After being thirsty for the things of God we said that we must believe the promises of God and His Word.

I would like to continue on the need to be thirsty for the THINGS of God. It is typical when a person is thirsty to try all kinds of things to satisfy that thirst. I know believers right now who are thirsty and they are trying the things the world offers to satisfy the desire of the soul. They try to quench that desire with things such as improper relationships, religious tradition, emotional or physical bonds with someone, religious activity, or social and economic success.

Our Lord promised that the Father would give us a Comforter who would satisfy all the desires of our body, soul, and spirit. When I feel lonely He will be there to quench that thirst to be with someone. When I feel fear He will be there to quench that thirst for security and safety. When I feel confused or deceived He will be there to quench that thirst for truth.

The key is call upon and trust God, the Holy Spirit to be in us what our Lord Jesus Christ promised He would be.

John 14:16-17 ESV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, (17) even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

The promises of God are "Yes and Amen". Our Lord Jesus Christ promised that out of our bellies would flow rivers of living waters. Is this true? It is the Word of God, therefore it can not be anything but truth.

2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

John 7:37-39 ESV On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. (38) Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" (39) Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Numbers 23:19 ESV God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Therefore, if there is no river of living waters flowing out who can we blame? Obviously we need to look at our own lives and realize that something must be wrong if the Word is not working in and through us as our Lord promised that it would. We need to be thirsty to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and we become a river of living waters.

The thirst we need is not a thirst in our inner most being that says "we could take it or leave it." It is not a double-minded wishy-washy mentality. A Christian not walking in the Spirit is trying to please God and the world at the same time which cannot happen.

James 1:5-8 ESV If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; (8) he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

2 Peter 2:17-18 ESV These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. (18) For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.

1 Kings 18:21 ESV And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.

Isaiah 29:13 ESV And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

It is a good day to choose to WALK IN THE SPIRIT.

DESPERATION THIRST:
Do you really want to be filled with the Holy Spirit and receive all that He gives?" We said that first we must be thirsty for the things of God. This is the kind of desperate thirst that chooses to walk away from the worldly pleasures of life.

The kind of thirst that would drive us to sell all we have to attain the field with the hidden treasure. The kind of thirst that would cause us to pant like a deer pants for the water. It is a desperation of the soul and spirit that says I must have it or die. It is a thirst that feels we are so in need of spiritual water that our tongue cleaves to the roof of our mouth. God we are thirsty for YOU and YOUR presence.

Psalms 42:1-2 ESV To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. (2) My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Matthew 13:44 ESV "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Romans 8:5-8 ESV For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (6) For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (7) For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. (8) Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Galatians 5:16 ESV But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Father, forgive us for not having spiritual thirst.

There are a lot of cravings among believers in the days which we live. There are cravings for food, drink, love, popularity, riches, fame, attention, pleasure, and power. I cry every time I see a believer overcome by these cravings and walk away from the Lord. 

Many times the cravings and lust in the heart for the world, the things of the world, and personal satisfaction exceeds thirst for the things of God and for His truth. Those who give in to the lust of the heart use justification and every possible excuse outside of themselves for why they are where they are emotionally, relationally, spiritually, financially, socially, and mentally. We live in a day of excuses and the victim mentality.

I have seen believers ask God for the right thing morality, socially, and spiritually and then when they receive it they use that very thing which was an answered prayer, as an excuse to be a victim to it. We are called to walk in the Spirit without excuses. My spouse, my children, my job, my church and my health cannot be used as an excuse for us walking in the flesh and making decisions outside of the will of God.

It states in the book of James that all lust starts in the heart of man.

James 1:13-15 ESV Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. (14) But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. (15) Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

When we are not in the Spirit we are in the flesh and fulfilling the lust of the flesh. This is the root of wars and fighting among believers.

James 4:1-3 ESV What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? (2) You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. (3) You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

When we walk in the spirit we are pleasing the Father and doing His will. When we are walking in the flesh we are fulfilling the lustful desires of the flesh. These fleshly lusts war against our soul, which is the way we think (our thoughts), the way we feel (our emotions) and the way we choose (our will).

1 Peter 2:11 ESV Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

1 John 2:15-17 ESV Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. (17) And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

How I long to see the Body of Christ to thirst after God and make the hard decisions to deny self. I cry out for the command of our Lord in Revelation to be a reality within the lives of many believers before it is to late.

Revelation 3:17-18 ESV For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. (18) I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Do you really want to be filled with the Holy Spirit and filled with all that He gives? I am not speaking about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, but being yielded up to a daily walk with the Person of the Holy Spirit. This is also called "walking in the Spirit."

(Ephesians 5:18 ESV) And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

First, we must be thirsty for the things of God. There is a great thirst in the church today among believers, however it is not always for the things of God. It seems to be a thirst for self-gratification, which creates a desire or lust to "use God" for a "spiritual high." There is a thirst for entertainment whereby we seek the new song, the fresh Holy Spirit buzz, or the newest media church seeker-friendly gimmick. Our heavenly Father is not to be used for our sensual desires but He is to be enjoyed in deep relationship and true fellowship. It is His desire to anoint us with His presence in the Person of the Holy Spirit. 

Romans 14:17 ESV For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 5:6 ESV "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

John 7:37-39 ESV On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. (38) Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" (39) Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Isaiah 55:1 ESV "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
TO BE CONTINUED...

We live in a day of great lawlessness and demonic oppression. These are the days when men call evil good and good evil.

(Isaiah 5:20 ESV) Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

(Isaiah 5:21 ESV) Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!

(Isaiah 5:22 ESV) Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink,

(Isaiah 5:23 ESV) who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!

However, lest we feel like all is hopeless we need to remember that with the warning about the evil of the last days we also have the promise of a supernatural outpouring of the Person of the Holy Spirit in the last days.

(Joel 2:28 ESV) "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

(Joel 2:29 ESV) Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

(Joel 2:30 ESV) "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.

(Joel 2:31 ESV) The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

A new wave of the Holy Spirit is flooding the Earth these days.  We have the honor of living in one of the greatest outpouring of God's Spirit in the history of mankind.  Great revelation is coming forth from the Throne of God to the Church through Word of God and true spiritual leaders of God. 

(Ephesians 2:19 ESV) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

(Ephesians 2:20 ESV) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

(Ephesians 2:21 ESV) in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

Amos 3:7-8 ESV "For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. (8) The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?"

Ephesians 3:4-5 ESV When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, (5) which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

This is training and equipping the Saints as no other time in history.  Every believer that is hungry and thirsty for truth is receiving an anointing and impartation of simple and practical and deep knowledge about the things of the Father.

It is the Father’s longing to make every believer a true intercessor, a true spiritual warrior, and a man or woman of faith.  A believer armed and ready to carry out the work of the Father effectively and in power.  This will come about through the power anointing that the Father is pouring out in these last days. Remember this dear brother or sister in the Lord. You will either stand strong in the Lord and His Word as part of the solution to mankind, or you will fall faithless as a victim filled with excuses before man as part of the problem. God is not holding back from you, He is waiting on you. Having done all else....STAND!

When we start confessing the Word and aligning our confession up with what the Word says then we will find that our lives will start coming into alignment with the will of God. Then the Word starts being manifested within us. The Word of God will become more than just a “head” knowledge or mental assent.

John 14:16-17 ESV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, (17) even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

John 16:13 ESV When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

We need to speak what the Word says. When we talk about it we get stirred up about it. Proverbs says that the best way to put out a fire is remove the wood. Words create and cause things to happen in life. That would be both negative and positive words.

Proverbs 26:20 ESV For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.

Again I quote from John 14:17. “You know Him.” Speak this truth. We need to declare what the Word says about us. The Word says that we know the Holy Spirit. We might not know everything but we have the great revealer within us. He knows all things. We are walking around with the great revealer living within us. We are walking around with the third Person of the Holy Trinity dwelling within us. He knows what is going on around the throne at all times. We have someone on the inside of us that knows our future. Holy Spirit, we are glad You know all things and because You know, we can know.

If you want to know more about the work and Person of the Holy Spirit you can purchase my book, "The Four Positions Of The Holy Spirit" on Amazon.

As believers we really know more than we might think that we know. This is a work of God through the Person of the Holy Spirit. I wrote a book called "The Four Positions Of The Holy Spirit" which outlines the work of the Person of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

John 14:16-17 ESV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, (17) even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Look at those three little words in John 14:17, “You know Him.”

Have you ever asked, “God if I know you so well, why don’t I discern the healing anointing, the glory cloud, the presence of the demonic or anything else in the spiritual realm better than I do?” God, many times I feel like I am clueless to what is going on around me.

You may have asked sometime in your life, “God, do I really, really know You?”

How did you get saved? You confessed Him and received Him according to the Word. So, if the Word says that I know the Holy Spirit then I have to come into alignment with the Word, instead of coming into alignment with my feelings or my stinking thinking. Confess what the Word says.

How do I come in alignment with the Word? The first thing I do is speak the Word back out to God. “Father, I found out today that I know You and I know the Person of Holy Spirit.” “God, You are more real to me than my car, my house, or my family.”

If you want to know more about the work and Person of the Holy Spirit you can purchase this book "The Four Positions Of The Holy Spirit" on Amazon.

Where has the dependence upon the Person of the Holy Spirit gone? Will we as the body of Christ get back to trusting God to do the supernatural in our midst and not be satisfied with the fluff and buff, and bells and whistles we have been generating?

I remember a day when believers as a whole cried out for God to move in mighty ways. We longed to walk on water, (yes I tried and sank). We prayed over the lame to walk and the dead to raise.

It was a time and season when believers dared to trust in God, His Word, and the indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit to see the supernatural manifested. However, over the years I have witnessed an exchange of that longing and desire for a sense of Christian entertainment. It would seem that the believers now come to church to see a show. It is a show that seems to have been rehearsed all week long. The sad thing is that the believers leave the assembly satisfied and convinced that God was among them.

With all the church buildings and all the preachers and all the Bibles in America I ask, why is it that morality continues in a downward spiral? Why does it seem that the church is so powerless to heal the sick, raise the dead, and stand before kings against immorality. Is it because the church has exchanged the power of God and the Holy Spirit for something that we can do well, which is the ability to entertain? 

2 Timothy 3:5 ESV having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Where are the Prophets that would speak a true warning from the Father? Where is the true power of heaven being manifested? Why are the heathen allowed to tear down the places of God in order to establish their idols?

Psalms 74:7-9 ESV They set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground. (8) They said to themselves, "We will utterly subdue them"; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land. (9) We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.

Where are the Christians that are sick and tired or being sick and tired? If we do not get back to seeking and walking in the anointing, the power, and the Person of the Holy Spirit we will find ourselves saying, "MY BUSH IS NOT BURNING AND I AM ALL OUT OF MATCHES".

Let’s look at the different ways the Holy Spirit will guide us to all truth. The Person of the Holy Spirit receives and declares…

1. Who our Lord Jesus Christ is.
2. What our Lord Jesus Christ did.
3. What our Lord Jesus Christ said.

JN.16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 

The Holy Spirit guides by SPEAKING to us the Truth. Our Lord had many things to say but they were not able to “bear” them. However, our Lord would share these hidden truths later through the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Father tells the Son what He desires and what He wants to reveal, the Son tells the Spirit, and the Spirit tells us. This should cause our hearts to leap with joy and have incredible confidence knowing that the full Godhead is actively engaged in our lives daily. (See Jn.14:17; Rom.8:14; Ps.23:1-2; 48:14; 73:24; Is.30:21; 42:16; 48:17).

For more information on the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, click on the link and get my book "THE FOUR POSITIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT"
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