I Was in the Spirit

Rev 4:2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

 Get this down... The Spirit of God...one baptism, many fillings.

I have coffee every once in a while with an acquaintance. He believes he was baptized with the Spirit of the Lord at an altar at an sales conference and consequently, he feels that he is continuously filled with the Spirit. This, despite the fact he never attends church, drinks, cusses, lusts and is about as full of himself as anyone I know. (Don't get me wrong, I count him as a friend and will do all I can to help him. I am not downing him, just his Pneumatology.)

The fact is, everyone that has been born again has received the Spirit of God. We have this on the authority of Romans 6 and 8. If you don't have the Spirit, you are none of His. Obviously, there are a lot of people who may call heaven their home, who are not walking in the Spirit, but in the power of the flesh. I would say, most!

As I said, there are many "fillings." Paul said, “I die daily.” We must crucify the flesh on a regular basis. The Lord will not fill a dirty vessel. Once we are emptied of self, then we are ready to receive the filling of the Holy Ghost. Consequently, don't expect to be leaping pews and swinging from chandeliers, rather, be ready to find the Spirit producing His fruit in you: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (Gal 5). Be prepared to have witnessing power. (Acts 1:8)

Once we are drawn away from this blessed state by our own lusts, we stand in need of cleansing once again and to be refilled.

John experienced this. At an advanced age, He was cast upon a rocky, snake-infested island. Having been boiled in oil, he somehow escaped this martyrdom only to be expelled from society and the church he pastored in Ephesus.

You can imagine the battles raging within his soul. He flesh must have desired an end to this misery. His old nature, which once wanted to call fire down out of heaven upon others, might have crept in, causing him to want revenge upon the Romans who had treated him so inhumanely. But suddenly, he was in the Spirit. Oh, what a change!

No longer did he see red, born of rage, toward his persecutors. Now, he sees the Lord on His throne in heaven being glorified by the 24 elders and the 4 beasts.

You see, being filled with the Spirit results in a change of perspective. Our vision is lifted above the nasty now and now to the sweet bye and bye. We don't dwell upon the temporary, the evil and our inconvenience, but upon things eternal, good and liberating. 

The same blessedness conferred upon John during his duress is available to you in your difficulty. It is the filling of the Spirit which changes everything dramatically. He desires to fill you even now. Just confess and forsake your sin, ask to be filled, thank Him for filling you and then put that holy Presence to work in your day.

Please, don’t rely upon an obscure past experience you have had concerning the Spirit of the Lord, ask for a fresh filling today and every day.