While under the led of the LORD, I will continue with the theme of Amos 3:3 and our walking in harmony or agreement as One with the LORD. With that said todays targeted area is man being filled with the Spirit. But first Pastor Hoekstra and his teaching on Grace. As we remain within the New Covenant purchased by the Eternal Blood of Christ Jesus, to bring man to His Salvation. In this our Relationship with GOD is reestablished as seen in Genesis 1:26-27 and chapter 2. Where in chapter 2 beings with man, as a spirit, in the rest with GOD, in His Sabbath [rest] before man is formed of the clay of the earth on the eighth day, in the same fashion as any clay pot is molded and formed. For this I will use the ESV translation and as always should the LORD add to what is already there I will add it. Before I get into the subject at hand I want to say this about man today. Many out there are in no way humble or of a contriteness of heart because they are condescending rude and show no respect for themselves or others. Man has become a demanding disobedient people of lawlessness and chaos. There is one more thing I must point out, and it is this from the beginning there have been people who possessed the essence of GOD's Spirit within them, such people as the Prophets of whom Israel's King David is one. This fact is seen in his Psalms record.
"More on God Dwelling with the Humble and Contrite"
"The LORD is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap." (Psalm 113:4-7)
"In our previous meditation, we considered the LORD's loftiness, coupled with His interest in man's lowliness. "I dwell in the high and holy place [the location is the core of mans being, when in His Salvation, for until then this remains a far far off kind of thing, an impossibility], and with him who has a contrite and humble spirit" (Isaiah 57:15). In our present verses, we again see the LORD's desires to dwell within the humble and contrite.
Our great GOD dwells in the heaven of heavens, ruling over all the nations of the world. "The LORD is High above all nations." His glory is even more majestic than the galaxies, which He hung throughout the stellar heavens: "His glory above the heavens." There is no one in all the universe who could be likened unto Him. "Who is like the LORD our GOD?" Nevertheless, though He rightly inhabits the highest realms of existence, He is willing to consider our lowly estate and become involved in the affairs of humanity: "Who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth."
From His high and lofty position, the LORD observes the family of man. He is not looking for the boastful and the arrogant. He is looking for the humble and the contrite. "Though the LORD is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar" (Psalm 138:6). Although our GOD is the creator of all the universe, HE is looking for the spiritually bankrupt and those whose hearts are crushed. " 'For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,' says the LORD. 'But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word' " (Isaiah 66:2). This last phrase gives a key characteristic of those who are truly humble and contrite. They respond with reverence when hearing GOD's word.
What does the LORD desire to do for the humble and contrite? He wants to bring spiritual restoration: "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me" (Psalm 138:7). Our great GOD is a God of compassion. He wants to restore the crushed heart. "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves [heals...ie restores] such as have a contrite spirit . . . He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 34:18 and 147:3). Our mighty, compassionate LORD "raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap." In other words HE indwells us.
Spirit-filled Men,
Luke 1:8-17 Now while he [the priest Zachariah] was serving as priest before GOD when his [allotted appointment] division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the LORD to burn incense. A the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. To this Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayers have been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the LORD. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. For he will turn many of the children of Israel to the LORD their God, and he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the LORD a people prepared."
Luke 4:1-4 "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and being led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, He was hungry. The devil said to Him, "If you are the Son of GOD, command this stone to become bread." To this Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'"
Acts 2:1-4 "When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. When suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. When divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 4:5-12 "The next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. They had set them [John and Peter] in the midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, Whom GOD raised from the dead—by Him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is Salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved [redeemed from perils of slavery]."
Acts 4:23-31 "When they [Peter and John] were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together toward GOD and said, "Sovereign LORD, Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, Who through the mouth of our father David, Your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, "'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the LORD and against His Anointed'— for truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed [Christ], both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place. And now, LORD, look upon their threats and grant to Your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness, while You stretch out Your hand to heal [restore spiritual health to our soul or spirit, the LORD's Salvation], and signs and wonders are performed through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of GOD with boldness.
Acts 7:54-60 "Now when they heard [Stephen's message] these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of GOD, and Jesus standing at the right hand of GOD. To this he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of GOD." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "LORD, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep."
Acts 11:19-26 "Those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. For there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the LORD was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 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, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the LORD. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the home churches and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians."
Acts 13:4-12 "Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of GOD in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of GOD. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the LORD? And now, behold, the hand of the LORD is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the LORD."
Acts 13:44-47, 48-52 " On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the LORD. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. To this Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the word of GOD be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the LORD has commanded us, saying, "'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the LORD, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the LORD was spreading throughout the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. For the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."
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