What a benefit package!

When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them. (Acts 2:1-4)

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and continually renewed in his presence, the result will be that there will be less of "self" around to influence our decisions and to take our focus off of our Lord. We will experience a hunger for the Word of God that goes well beyond what we have ever known before - because the Holy Spirit is sent to teach us the things of God. He is our "tutor" in the things that relate to God's holiness, right living, and the love of our heavenly Father. There is an opening of the Word to us like never before - we call this revelation. Those things that we may have never seen in the Word previously will seemingly jump off the page at us. There will be a revelation of Jesus to us and a revelation of Jesus in us.

The command Jesus gave to his disciples was to wait - waiting requires obedience. The promise was that they would be filled. The filling of the Holy Spirit brought them into a place where they would be witnesses of all God had done in them. That is another thing we can count on the Holy Spirit to do in us - he makes us witnesses. Not like the kind that stand on street corners and hand out Bible tracts (although there is nothing wrong with that). He will help us to form relationships that allow us to freely express the love of God and then to show others God's graces through the demonstration of God's love in our lives.

In Ephesians 5, Paul directs the followers of Christ to be very careful how they live. This "carefulness" about living involves being attentive to our choices, evaluative about who we choose to listen to (self or Christ), and responsiveness to the desires of our Lord. In this same chapter, he tells us that we need to make the most of every opportunity we are given - this is also part of the work of the Holy Spirit. He opens our eyes to opportunities that we may not have seen before. He directs our attention to truth, brings light into darkness, and clearly shuts doors that will lead to our harm.

The events in that upper room those many years ago were prophesied by an Old Testament prophet named Joel. (Joel 2) Those words, given to him by the Holy Spirit so many years before, promised that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all flesh. The promise included legal heirs (sons and daughters), people of all ages (young and old), and people without class distinction (servants and handmaidens). The Holy Spirit has a definite unifying work, bringing together people like nothing else can do. These are but a few of the wonderful outcomes of being "filled" with the Holy Spirit. There is a process of daily renewal that keeps our "cup overflowing". Paul reminded us in Romans 12:1-2 to daily renew our minds by presenting ourselves before him, allowing him to transform us from the inside out. It is when God is given the ordinary that he makes it extraordinary. The Holy Spirit is given to us so that we might experience the extraordinary in God. Have you been filled today? If not, ask God to fill you to overflowing with the power and anointing of his Holy Spirit. It is an experience with a continual benefit! Just sayin!

Hunger gets you to the table

There are a whole lot of character traits I could choose for my "H" List - things like humility, honor, honesty, hopefulness, and holiness.  Yet, I choose to focus on one character trait today:  Hunger.  You see, if hunger is one of your character traits, humility will follow, honor will be your adornment, honesty will be your way of doing business, hopefulness will spring from your heart, and holiness will be evident in your words and actions.  So, hunger really is an all-encompassing character trait for our "H" List today!

You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.  (Matthew 5:6 MSG)

This passage is taken from the Sermon on the Mount.  I'd like to back up a little to get some perspective though.  First, we find Jesus climbing a small mountain or up onto a hillside.  Why?  The crowds were gathering and this gave him position to speak to the vast crowd - his voice would carry since what he did was actually create something of an outside amphitheater.  Next, we see he did not climb alone - those who were "apprenticed" to him, the committed, climbed with him.  In other words, those who were in service with him.  These were his disciples - those who would be in for the long haul.  Not to be missed is the "posture" of Jesus as he began to teach - he sat down.  Now, at first this may not say much, but think about it - he sat down.  This suggests a place of comfort and a time of personal sharing.  Last, but not least, catch who it was he began to teach - his "climbing companions".  It was those who were committed to the long haul he sat with that day - opening up his heart and sharing his treasured teachings.

This brings us to the posture of his "climbing companions" - they sat down, too.  They were ready to receive from him - expectant for what he might share.  This is probably the most important part of "hunger" - there is a desire to receive because their is an intensity of need.  If you have ever been hungry, stomach rumbling a little, you have an urgency of need which compels you to find something to satisfy the hunger, right?  You either prepare it yourself, or you go some place where you can find it prepared already.  For these disciples, the latter is true - they come expectant to find that which will satisfy their hunger for truth.  We cannot miss their posture - they sat down.  This is more than a casual pursuit for them - it is not fast food!  They are assuming a position which suggests they are there to receive - not just get a "quickie" infusion of spiritual advice!

Then Jesus begins to "deliver" their "meal":

³ “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule." - This may not seem like the way to open up a good "meal", but think about what he is saying here - when you are hungry enough, you are empty!  Emptiness is the opportunity for filling.  

⁴ “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you." - Loss leaves us empty, but through loss, we are free to embrace things new to us.  Hunger is built in the times of loss - for we move from being comfortable, to beginning to seek something to satisfy the longing of our hearts.

⁵ “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought." - Hunger moves us because we are no longer content with the quick fixes or the tidbits of stuff we take in to fill the space inside.  Yet, it is not until we realize what really satisfies our hunger that we are content in "being filled". 

And this brings us to our passage today:  “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat."  Hunger is a compelling need - it drives you.  It is often associated with a feeling of weakness.  The body is uniquely designed to "crave" that which it needs most.  For example, when you need minerals, your body actually "craves" things which provide you with those minerals - such as salt!  The spirit of man is similarly created to "crave" that which satisfies the inner longings of a searching heart.  

Looking at how he leads up to this passage about hungering for that which really satisfies the inner man, he reminds the disciples about weakness.  I think this is because weakness is an innate part of hunger - it is the evidence of need.  Until we recognize our need, we don't stop to be fed.  Until the disciples sat down, they weren't in a position to really feast upon what Jesus would provide.  I think the same is true for us - hunger drives us to his feet, but intensity of need (weakness) compels us to actually sit down long enough to take in what we have need of.  Did you ever stop to consider the root word of hunger?  It carries the meaning of being "dry" or "burning" with need.  Hunger is a place of dryness.  There is a burning for something more.  In this respect, it brings us to the place of filling.  Maybe this is why Jesus sandwiched this right between being empty, at a sense of loss, and ready to be filled with what really matters and the next truths:

⁷ “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for." - When we are filled, we have something to give out - fullness actually produces something for others.

⁸ “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world." - In being filled "inside", there is something evident "outside".

⁹ “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family." - There is just something about gathering around the place of nourishment, sharing a good meal with others, isn't there?  In those moments, something happens - the doors open to communication, intimate exchanges occur.  The place of filling actually becomes a place of exchange.

¹⁰ “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom." - You may not want what you are fed, but in learning to appreciate the provision you receive, you learn to see it as the bounty which will sustain you.

Hunger is a powerful thing - being in a position to be filled with what really satisfies is a matter of settling in for the feast.  Hunger gets you to the table, but emptiness and weakness gets you to sit down long enough to be filled.  Just sayin!

Empty jugs

The story begins this morning with a widow woman facing a debt she cannot repay.  She is worried that she will lose her two sons - simply because they would become the "means" of repaying her debt as they would become the slaves to the debtor if she could not repay the debt.  Her husband has been a prophet - a godly man.  I imagine she wonders why this catastrophe is upon her since she likely has lived pretty close to this guild of prophets and their "set apart" lifestyle for a good many years.  She comes to Elisha - one of the major prophets of the Old Testament - seeking his help.  She implores him to consider her plight.  In response, he begins to wonder what he might be able to do to assist.  In those days, prophets were rarely wealthy men or women - they lived by the standards of the day, occupying their time with the normal pursuits of the day such as farming, tending the animals, working with clay or wood, etc.  But...today, I want us to focus on his answer to this woman and the importance of her response.

Elisha said, “I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?”  “Nothing,” she said. “Well, I do have a little oil.”  (2 Kings 4:2 MSG)

I think Elisha may have seen the situation as an opportunity - the woman was seeing it as an impossibility.  He asks what she has - she declares what she doesn't have!  Isn't that just like us?  We are so quick to discount what we possess because we see it as insignificant in comparison to the "demands" being made upon us.  Why do we gravitate to the "little" instead of seeing the "much" in our circumstances, talents, or abilities?  I think there is something we might all need a little reminding about - we serve the God of "much" not the "little".

So, the story goes on to tell us about the woman being instructed to collect every available bottle, jar and pot from the town.  She goes about collecting these, stacking them up in her home, until every last "empty" one is in her possession.  Now, this may not seem like much at first, but do you see something occurring in this activity on her part?  She is not sure "what" will happen, she just knows if she brings everything which has been declared "empty" into the presence of God, the "empties" are right where they need to be!  

We often don't bring our "empties" to God's presence - because we see them as "empty" - something which contains nothing of importance.  Yet, when you really stop to consider this situation, you will realize without an "empty", God has nothing to "fill"!  So, the next time you tell yourself you are just an "empty" in some regard, you are just really saying to God, "I have a little space you can fill up!"  

In bringing these empty jars to Elisha, the little she had became so much more than she needed to satisfy the debt owed by her husband.  In fact, she is able to live on what's left.  God not only filled the "empties" with enough to provide for today's need, he filled enough "empties" to provide for the future needs, as well.  The thing is, when we are willing to give our "little" into his care, taking steps to bring what has been emptied out into his presence, we find he fills beyond our capacity to contain!

I often hear people saying stuff like "Oh, I never could do that" or "I just don't have what it takes".  The truth be told, neither did Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, Joyce Meyers, or Charles Stanley (to name only a few).  The thing each had in common was more than the emptiness that needed to be filled - they also brought the "little" they had into the presence of God and in turn, he filled.  The empty parts of each of us are exactly what God needs.  It is in the emptying we become ready to be filled.  

My hope for you today - you will stop telling yourself the "little" you have is not enough in God's hands.  For it is in the bringing of the "little" into his presence where we see the impossibilities become possibilities.  Just sayin!