“Our Daily Bread”   http://odb.org/2012/08/17/they-are-watching/              

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht

1 Timothy 4:6… If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.  (NKJV)

I always feel good about the writing I will be doing for the day, when my inspiration comes from scripture that speaks to me in my daily Q/T (quiet time) reading in the Bible… I have spent the last 3 days in a study I am led to write, about why some Christians are “filled to overflowing” with the Holy Spirit…and why some Christians never seem to reach this point of spiritual maturity in their lives…  These Spirit filled Christians can’t help but share the gospel of Christ with those around them… They absolutely know with 100% certainty, that they are heaven bound when they die (1 John 5:13); and the Holy Spirit urges them with a firm hand, to share this “good news” of the gospel and/or their own testimony of salvation to those in need at the appropriate time…

This opening scripture describes both me, and what I am trying to accomplish with this study on being filled with the Holy Spirit…  If it seems like I am boasting here, as I write…I am !!  But just like the apostle Paul, I must make it clear that my boasting is in the Lord Jesus Christ; and not in my own meager self (Galatians 6:14)… Praise the Lord !!   And may this study bring Him all of the honor and the glory He so richly deserves; as Christ and His power through the filling of the Holy Spirit is exemplified through me and my learning experiences…

Here is a link for those who want to catch up on the last 3 days of writing on this study; which I started with…”Filled to Overflowing” on 8/14/2012…  My hope is that this important study is shared with others, by hitting the share button in “Gods group” here on Facebook; or by forwarding on these daily e-mails by those who have truly experienced the blessings of supernatural peace that God has provided them, by being filled with the Holy Spirit…     https://godsmanforever.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=343&action=edit

In a quick update…I am using a word picture by calling our body a fragile, cracked and flawed vessel…which at the time we are graced with salvation by God, and declared a Christian in His eyes…is filled to the rim with the Holy Spirit… I am calling the Holy Spirit living water, as scripture reveals in…Jeremiah 2:13…&…John 7:38)… The reason I believe that a Christian will not be “filled to overflowing” with the Holy Spirit…is because Satan, and/or our own flesh, contributes to the cracks in our vessel; which prevents our level of living water from building up to the point where we start overflowing with the love of the Lord… Look at…John 7:38…for Jesus’ word picture of this abundance of “living water” that all Christians should possess…

The Christian is sealed and filled with the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (Ephesians 1:13)… But the attacks that Satan will constantly try and make on our fragile, perfect clay vessel (just after we are saved by God’s grace), will eventually lead to cracks that allow Satan back into our lives… Yesterday, I told you I would give you my secret of how I have been able to successfully fend off Satan’s attacks…  Does Satan still try and temp me to sin ??  Absolutely !!  But God’s Word is true !!

The apostle Paul reveals God’s way of protecting His children from Satan’s attacks, in…Ephesians 6:10-20…  Some may be tired of seeing me write about “The Whole Armor of God” which Paul describes in some detail in this scripture…  Here is the link for this potentially life changing scripture on God’s protective armor… http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph6:10-20&version=NKJV

But unless you are “filled to overflowing” with the Holy Spirit, you are allowing sin via Satan, to enter your vessel through cracks in it’s fragile wall…or your flesh is winning the war over your Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:17)… Either way, I have proven with my own frailty and failures…that the Holy Spirit’s total control can be taken completely away!!  I was a victim of this sad state of self-control for some years, following my glorious salvation just over 10 years ago…  I am reminded of a rather long sermon by the REV. C. H. Spurgeon, preached back in 1859…  His sermon was titled… “Grieving the Holy Spirit”… I pray it will be read by all of today’s readers for its powerful message of both gloom, and ultimate hope that is filled with joy and godly peace…        http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0278.htm

When we grieve the Holy Spirit, it is because sin, or our own flesh…seems more important at that moment in time, than the leading of the Holy Spirit…given by God as a lifelong Helper to all new Christians (John 14:26)… There are many reasons for the sin that enters the lives of all of us…including Christians… Those without the supernatural protection and power the Holy Spirit brings into the life of the Christian, will have ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE  to defend themselves against the deceptive lies and lust filled temptations that Satan will use to attack and control all humans with…

And without systematically putting on God’s whole set of spiritual armor…Christians will never be free from being penetrated by Satan’s attacks…  It took me some time to learn about, and to put on ALL  of God’s spiritual armor… But Christians must also be aware of attacks from their own flesh… As I have stated numerous times…somehow, slowly over a period of time…I took back control from the Holy Spirit…  My joy and the supernatural peace I so often write about, were gone…until I got down on my knees and prayed to the Lord to bring back my peace and joy, as I again gave total control back to the Holy Spirit… That was just over 3 years ago, and all I can do is humbly praise God for His continuous peace in my life; even through the burial of my 39 year old niece Jennifer, who passed away just over 2 years ago…

I urge all readers to check out “The Whole Armor of God” link above; and read the sermon about “Grieving the Holy Spirit”, preached by the noted preacher, the REV. C. H. Spurgeon in the link above…  I hope to expound on God’s protective spiritual armor tomorrow…God willing…

Heavenly Father, I thank You and praise You for the blessings that You so abundantly shower on my life… I pray Lord, that readers are urged by You, to learn all they can about the spiritual armor You provide for all of Your children to wear, for total protection from the evil one (Ephesians 6:11)… And Lord…I ask a special blessing for all of Your children who are living in Your will and Your ways…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

written by bruce r mills