FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
After pastoring this small denominational church in south Texas for 6 years I found myself weary and my spiritual gas tank empty. Maybe you can relate to this. I have been labeled by friends as ‘high impact’ and ‘low maintenance.’Probably my wife of 55 years needs to be the one to verify this. But at this time I didn’t feel the high impact or the low maintenance.
In the first part of 1982, our family needed to get away and rest. We decided to return to our home town. It was while there that my brother invited me to attend his church on Sunday. I thanked him, but I was a Baptist pastor and would not be attending his Pentecostal church. When Sunday rolled around I decided to go. I wanted to honor what God was doing in my brother's life at that time. So, I thought what could it hurt? God loves all His children regardless of what name is on the church door.
What I didn’t know was that I was going to be touched deeply by the Holy Spirit. I left the church service differently that day. I was hungry I wanted more of what I had felt and experienced. Several weeks after returning to my small church I was in my office and I felt spiritually bankrupt. I prayed to God and told him I was ready to receive anything he had that would allow me to experience what I had seen and felt at my brother's church. God answered me. It happened. The Holy Spirit brought renewal and refreshing in my office and a new filling. I was changed I knew He had answered my prayer. From that day my life and ministry have never been the same. If you have never prayed for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit I would highly recommend it.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18 KJV:
“…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Matthew 3:11