Be filled with the spirit – Part 4

Text: Ephesians 5:18-21
Key Verse: Ephesians 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” (BSB)

When you go to the Book of Judges, you will discover that every judge was a man of the spirit. Gideon was one of the popular judges. His story is found in Judges Chapter 6, 7 and 8, but when you go to Chapter 13, 14, 15 and 16, you will see the story of Samson. It is the Holy Spirit all the way in the life of Samson. When I was a small boy, I used to think that Samson was a big man, but later as I studied the scripture, I became convinced that Samson must have been of my stature because nobody knew the source of his strength. If he had been a very big man, people would have asked, can’t you see his muscle? He was not so, he was a normal man. Everybody wanted to know the source of his strength, which is the Holy Spirit. In Judges 14:6a, the Bible says: “The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands.”

Samson was a Nazarite unto the law and if you want to know more about the Nazarites go to Numbers Chapter 6 and read up the scriptures about the Nazarites. The Nazarites were people kept apart for God for holy purposes.

There was a special covenant between the Nazarites and God and that is why I am pleading with every person that calls himself a child of God to have a personal covenant with God. All the judges were men of the spirit, but when Eli came on board, his two sons did not want to be men of the Spirit; they became adulterous and fornicators (1 Samuel 2:22).

Eli did not stop his children from doing evil. Eli refused to discipline them and God said to him, because you want to honour your children more than me, I am going to remove all of you (1 Samuel 3:11-14). I do not want God to remove me for honouring anybody above Him.

I teach my children that God comes first and their education comes second. So, let God come first, let the glory of God be upheld and let God be given the honour that is due to Him. Do you know in some churches, there are silly women who go to bed with their pastors and there are wicked men who will not help widows until they sleep with them? True and pure religion is to help a widow who is in trouble without taking advantage of her vulnerability (James 1:27).

What every pastor needs is the Holy Ghost. Let every pastor seek God and let every pastor realise that what he needs is the Holy Ghost. You do not need to know anybody; what you need is the Holy Ghost. People should seek God and be filled with the spirit. All the prophets were men of God and if you read the Book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel kept saying the spirit of God took me up and carried me (Ezekiel 3:14; 11:24; 37:1; 43:5).

What we need is the Holy Spirit. In Numbers 11:25, God came down and took from the Spirit that was upon one man (Moses) and gave to 70 elders. I always wonder at this scripture how was it possible? Moses must have had the spirit not beyond measure. Like Jesus (John 3), he had a large dose of the Holy Spirit.

• Today’s Nugget: What we need is the Holy Spirit. Prayer: Lord fill me to overflow with the Holy Ghost. Prayer lines: 08054477940. E-mail: servantofgod111@yahoo.com. Rev. Pastor Ejikeme Ejim, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God, Nigeria