When the Holy Spirit comes upon a person, it is an empowering. It is simply that. It is an empowering for God to be able to do what He has not been able to do, in and through you before! Upon the empowering there is at that point a connection between the individual and God! There is a communication, there is a line, there is a cord attached so to speak! There is something there to connect to. If the person is already cleaned up, when they are empowered, is God going to be able to immediately start doing something? Yes!

However, if there is “junk” in the way, there is work to be done! Think about a glass of water. However, that glass has dirt, grime and pieces of garbage and other junk in it at the same time! For the glass to be used to drink from you are going to have to clean it! If we try to fill the glass with water, with all the “stuff” in it, it will NOT receive the amount of water it - was made for!

After we receive the empowering of the Holy Spirit – it depends on the person, and how serious they are and how close they stay to the Father. It will also be determined how quickly they get cleaned up. It will also depend on their walk and their talk. In fact, it depends on everything!

We are never filled in the sense of perfection. We are filled in the sense of being completely full of the Holy Spirit, that it pours out of us. God’s workable power through us, depends on where we are with God!

When you receive your Salvation, you get empowered, and when you start doing what God tells you to do - everything begins to start to come. It’s like opening a bank account. The deposits come in stages. It’s not in one lump sum. Why? We’re not ready for it. We must be found trustworthy. God’s power and authority must be placed in the hands of those who are stable and are not tossed to and frow.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. (NIV) Ephesians 4:14-15

God’s written Word clearly states that we must be found trustworthy and to be found trustworthy we must start with the small matters first. As we grow and get cleaned up, then the larger matters will come. We must be tested and found to be trustworthy, we must pay the price.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix

Our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (NIV) Hebrews 12:1-11

Jesus taught: "...For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So, if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other...." (NIV) Luke 16:8-13

In the parable of the ten minas, once again Jesus taught that if we are trustworthy with small matters, we will be given charge of much larger matters according to our faithfulness.

“While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. `Put this money to work, he said, `until I come back.'

"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, We don't want this man to be our king. He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. "The first one came and said, `Sir, your mina has earned ten more. Well, done, my good servant!' his master replied. `Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities. The second came and said, `Sir, your mina has earned five more.' His master answered, `You take charge of five cities.' Then another servant came and said,

`Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' His master replied, `I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' Then he said to those standing by, `Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' `Sir,' they said, `he already has ten!' "He replied, `I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. (NIV) Luke 19:11-26

We must know how to administer the things of God and it begins with that “beginner’s boost the size of a mustard seed”. If, we are found trustworthy and we are given much, much will be required of us!

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (NIV) Luke 12:48

Jesus set the “perfect’ example: “He was willing to make Himself nothing, so should we be willing to “decrease that He can increase” thus taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Philippians 2:7

“He must increase, but I must decrease. (KJV) John 3:30

Our Savior also set the example that we should use in that the written Word tells us how He dedicated Himself to doing what the Father required of Him in order that God could fill Him with the Holy Spirit.

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (NIV) Luke 2:52

So, we must: “Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of His approval, as worker with no need to be ashamed, because He deals straightforwardly with the Word of the Truth. But keep away from godless babbling, for those who engage in it will only become more ungodly, and their teaching will eat away at people like gangrene...” (CJB) 2 Timothy 2:14-17a

Jesus found favor with God because He was found to be trustworthy.

“So, Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." (NIV) John 8:29

These are just a few of the scriptures that have been written about the actions of our Savior. He proved Himself to be totally willing to “empty” Himself to be filled with the Holy Spirt. He was totally yielded to the Father. And, because of His willingness, God could trust Him! He pleased God.

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (NIV) Matthew 3:16-17

“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. (NIV) 1 John 3:21-22

We must come to the point that the things of the world do not matter. We must obtain the purest possible heart that we can have while still on this Earth. Then the fullness of the Holy Spirit can occupy our lives!

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (NIV) 1 Peter 1:15-16

The Holy Spirit wants to come and dwell in His “fullness” in the life of each “believer”. For us to think that He can come and dwell in His “fullness” in the life of someone who is full of self and selfishness, is to be deceived.

Everyone must decide if they want a portion, or the “fullness”. A portion would be like a quarter of a cup, the “fullness” would be to the top and to overflowing.

How can God fill your cup to overflowing when you are full of past hurts, unforgiveness, strife, or a mindset of, “me first”? The wanting of things your way must go. Everyone must choose to “empty” themselves just like Yeshua did.

“. . .but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (NIV) Philippians 2:7

It is not enough to just “believe”. We must become nothing. We must be emptied to be filled. We are not talking about a partial filling. To be filled is to have the fullness. Our Salvation must be worked out. Yeshua died to save you from Hell, that is true, but He wants to save you from the disappointments of this world. He wants to save you from the hurts and all the ugliness of this world. He wants you to be able to “really” walk in this world with the “peace that passeth all understanding”. That comes with the “fullness” of the Holy Spirit in your life. That comes with you filled to overflowing. Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit and the kind of peace that God is talking about here is not experienced sometimes. It is experienced all the time! To walk in this world with that kind of peace, plus joy, love, patience, kindness, and goodness. That is Salvation!

We must work out our salvation: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed -- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence -- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God

who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe (NIV) Philippians 2:12-15

We must move out, so the Holy Spirit can move in and take over. There is no other way!

People pay their “tithe”, but they are not willing to “pay the price”. I bring this up to make this point. People pay their tithe, but they won’t give God what he is due in all areas of their lives. God wants all areas not just some! And to think that we can tithe and not give up the rest is to be deceived. The giving of 10% of our paychecks is minutia to what God wants us to give up for Him. He wants to work in our “lives” not in just portions of our lives.

People tithe thinking of the promise of having a return of “unmeasured blessings”. Well, the giving of 10% of your paycheck is not the way to get those unmeasured blessings. That is a small part of it, a very small part it. What good is a full bank account when you and your family are struggling and perishing in other areas of your life. One tenth is fine, but what about the other 90%. Yeshua gave up everything and if the body of Christ isn’t willing to give up and move out for God to move in, then they’re cheating God first, then themselves, their families and the people who are waiting for you to get it right, to teach them!

Once again, there is a choice to make. Do you want as much of God as you can get? Do you want it all, or do you want a small portion? What are you going to do with God? Obey Him, or cheat Him? The Lord God Jehovah does NOT want a room in your life, He wants your whole “house”, He wants every inch of living space - every inch! He deserves that because – HE IS WORTHY!

(sw-h)

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