Text: Eph. 5:18

A practical illustration of someone who caught the fire and made good use of it was Philip. (Acts 8:5-8). Being filled with the Holy Spirit makes you a proof-producing Christian; it makes you to be abundantly fruitful. Philip literally turned the city of Samaria upside down (vs.7). People not only heard the message, they saw proofs. The Holy Spirit needs to flow out through you to produce results that people can identify with. In life, you are as relevant as the problems you are able to solve; in other words, your value is in terms of how much problems you were able to solve. In the final analysis, everyone will be remembered for the problems they were either able to solve while on earth or the problems they left behind (or created).

The key to being a proof-producing Christian is being filled with the Holy Spirit. The name of Philip was first mentioned in connection with serving tables in Acts 6:1-6 along with other ordained deacons. It was the issue of what to eat that dethroned Adam and since then that has been an issue. Many people in life never rise above the satisfaction of the flesh. However, there are higher values in life that we must stretch for. Philip was able to identify his purpose. It is interesting to note that only two of the deacons were able to stand out – Stephen and Philip. Nobody wrote about the others who served food except for Nicolas who went into heresy.

Reasons why we must be filled with the Holy Spirit

1. We cannot please God without being filled with the Holy Spirit. Rom. 8:5-8. It is either you become spiritual and offer spiritual service that will stand the test of God, service that will not become hay, wood or stubble when tested by fire or you become carnal. To be carnally minded is death and those that are carnal cannot please God. God is a spirit and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Nothing was written about the food that Philip served, if he ever did. God knows that you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to be spiritual and in order to offer acceptable service that was why he gave the command that you must be filled. You must be very careful about the prosperity message because it is capable of taking you to the extreme and producing error. That was the problem of the Laodicean Church; they were prosperous and lacked nothing (materially). But Jesus said that they were naked. Remember that a departing soul can take nothing along with him. It is good to have money but we must be very careful to put it in its proper perspective. It is wrong to equate spirituality with poverty; Jesus came to give us abundant life. The present Church is too earth-bound to fly; the messages are not preparing people for heaven. Take note that the rapture is going to be a spiritual exercise; anybody who is earth-bound cannot fly. Remember that spiritual things are very slippery and you need to really go for them; you must stretch to comprehend them in order to apprehend them. True deception is to live a life that chases vanity above God, in other words, true deception is to pursue other things and miss God.
2. There is no spiritual growth without being filled with the Holy Spirit. John 7:7-15, Gal. 3:1-3. What makes us perfect? Spiritual maturity is falling in love over and over with Christ as you allow the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and teach you. Jesus was so filled with the Holy Spirit that the teachers of the law marveled at his teachings and wisdom. Which university did Jesus attend? There is no better mentor than the Holy Spirit. Your mentor is your trusted coach; there is no better mentor than the Holy Spirit, you must begin to relate with him from that perspective. Since I discovered the Holy Spirit as my mentor, my Christianity changed radically. Your coach determines the tactics you need in order to win. There is no better coach, mentor, teacher, guide or counsellor than the Holy Spirit. It is a wonderful privilege to have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the best thing that God reserved for his Church, the promise of the Father. Jesus said in John 16:17 “nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you”. Think about the personality of the Holy Spirit – omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient – he knows everything. Looking at the impartation he gives you, he literally transforms you into a God-man. He reveals all things to you. He gives you Holy Ghost assisted performance that terminates all struggles.
3. We cannot glorify God without being filled with the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. 6:19-20. The revelation of your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit comes with a responsibility. You are no longer free to use your body anyhow or even neglect it. A child of God should not eat anyhow. To eat anyhow is to die anyhow. You must recognize that you are carrying the Holy Spirit inside of you. 1 Cor. 3:16 says “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Holy Spirit of God dwelleth in you? That puts paid to a child of God drinking anyhow or smoking, or taking things that can defile the temple. The revelation of your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit gives you a fire of faith that can kill sickness. Depending on the truth inside of you, you will command sickness and it will disappear. If you are commanding with unconfessed sin in your life, your command will not stand. If you are filled with wine, which space will the Holy Spirit occupy? A child of God who is committing adultery or fornication is destroying the temple and inviting spiritual cancer. God is not only angry when you sin but he is angrier at your reaction to it. God requires truth in the inward part. Anyone that pampers your sin hates you. You cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit with unconfessed sin in your life. If you want God to strengthen you, you must clean up; throw away your idols. If you want to see the wonders of God, sanctify yourself, no sanctification, no wonders. It is amazing that man will come to his creator covering himself with leaf instead of confessing his sins. Look at what David did in Psalm 51 when he was confronted with his sin. What is it that you are covering? Throw it off before the All-knowing God. This year, don’t cover up. Remove the leaf. Don’t cover sin. Let it be blotted out. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us”. 1 John 1:10.
4. We are powerless without being filled with the Holy Spirit. If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, you are empty and that is dangerous. That was why Jesus told his disciples in Luke 24:49 “And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high”. It is dangerous to try to do God’s work with physical muscle. A child of God should carry the Holy Spirit so much that there will be a hallow around him or her just like the hallow around high tension cables. You should create electromagnetic fields around yourself. Read Eph. 6:10-18.
5. We cannot know joy and peace without being filled with the precious Holy Spirit. Gal. 5:22 talks about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A lot of people think they can buy joy and peace with money. The more money they have, the more joy and peace will elude them. Why? Because joy and peace are fruits of the Holy Spirit.

There is danger in running this race with half tank. One of the mistakes of the Church today is to select people randomly to go and establish a parish. If you are so picked, please, go to God first and ask him. You cannot do this work by your strength. You need the power of the Holy Ghost. We are not called to walk upon red carpets; we are called to trample upon snakes and scorpions. Don’t step in if you are not filled with the Holy Spirit. The devil does not respect your title; the only thing he respects is the fire of his presence that you carry, the quantity and quality of the fire in you. That is what he fears. If you have fire, you don’t need any title. Fire is for impact.

To be continued.

PRAYER

• Lord, I have seen the importance of being filled with the precious Holy Spirit, I ask for grace and I ask that you release it upon me in the name of Jesus.
• Eternal Rock of Ages, I know that there are issues in my life that need to be addressed before I can see your wonders. I ask that you search through me in your mercy, O God, all the unconfessed sins in my life, all the defilements and places where I have missed it, Lord, you know, I do not want to cover my nakedness any more with ordinary leaves, I want you to remove all my sins with the precious blood of Jesus. Lord, no more covering of my nakedness before you, you knew me even before I was conceived in my Mother’s womb. You are omniscient Lord and I thank you because you love me so much that you gave your Son so that the issue of sin will be settled on a once and for all basis in my life. Father, you know my weaknesses, I ask you, O God, in the name of Jesus, have mercy upon me. In all the areas I have missed your mark, in all the areas where I have fallen short of your glory, Lord, have mercy upon me, forgive me, I am sorry, blot out all my sins, remove them from my record, in the name of Jesus.
• This year, I desire to walk closely with you, please help me, strengthen me in the inner man, fortify me spiritually, consolidate me spiritually, fill me to overflowing so that out of my belly shall flow rivers of living water in the name of Jesus. Help me O God; make me all you want me to be in the mighty name of Jesus.
• Heavenly Father, help me to say no to every appearance of evil, help me to eschew what you hate and to love what you love, in the name of Jesus. I ask that you grant me the grace to walk with you and to be all you want me to be, in the name of Jesus.
• I declare that I love you, dear Lord, through you, I shall do valiantly. As you used Philip, please use me, manifest your power through me, show your glory through me, in Jesus mighty name I have prayed. Amen