MAINTAIN
THE GLOW
Today
I want to speak for a few minutes concerning a subject that has not been fully appreciated by those of us living under the
New Covenant. It is the very important subject of maintaining the glow!
What is that, you ask? It’s a phrase used to describe a vital aspect of the ministry of the
Holy Spirit. It’s the difference between living above or beneath your privileges. A
believer who is determined to finish well will find it necessary that he or she understand and know how to maintain the glow.
Years ago a pastor decided that he wanted to find in his congregation those who
really wanted to grow; who really wanted to become achievers in God. He announced that there was open enrollment
for a class that he would teach on Sunday morning. He called the group his, ‘Achievers Class.’ He held the class at 7:30am, and despite the time many people
enrolled; after all who wouldn’t want to be in a class for achievers?
Every
week the pastor taught lessons geared toward helping the achievers realize their potential. A few weeks into it and as with
anything new, the group listened intently to the information, but then in began to happen. What occurred
in his class is a microcosm of what we have witnessed in the Body of Christ since the day of Pentecost. Once
we learn that achievers must become efficient at daily maintenance the excitement
and motivation bottoms out. When the students realized there’s real work involved, most of those
enrolled in the class stopped coming.
Herein is where we
have not given full appreciation to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I am certain that most of those who
dropped out did so because of a particular thought. They heard about the maintenance aspect and thought,
‘I can’t keep pace with those kinds of expectations.’ They end up taking themselves
out of the achievers class; out of their potential; out of Gods best.
Look
at John 6 and you will find a somewhat humorous human display. Jesus
supernaturally feeds thousands of people. Afterwards he couldn’t shake loose the ones who only viewed him as the-bread-man.
You provide a miracle-meal for thousands of people and they will want to make you king.
As the
people pursued Jesus regarding this power to provide bread, they reminded him about Moses and the children of Israel in the
wilderness. How God fed them supernaturally with manna.
Jesus
then uses food as an analogy. He declared to them that he was the true heavenly bread. This
simply got them angry and offended; even his disciples (his achievers class) began to waver. The suggestion
that He came down from Heaven to offer himself as food and drink was too much to take. In verse
66 it says, “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked
with Him no more.” That simply means that they dropped out; they considered it too hard to
follow Jesus.
I want to point you
to verse 63 where Jesus explains to his disciples (his achievers) that, “It
is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit,
and they are life.” To paraphrase this Jesus is saying that I
am speaking what you can understand only from your spirit not just your head.
God
knew this drop-out mentality would be a basic response and planned a way to counter it. Preparing his achievers
for his departure Jesus said it is better that I go because as I exit then enters
the Holy Spirit into the mix. And His ministry has a dynamic that will help you maintain a vibrant fellowship
with the Father. Let’s look at a passage of scripture in Ephesians.
Eph
5:18-19
And do not be drunk with wine,
in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another (actually it refers to yourself) in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,…
Based
on this Paul is instructing those who had already been filled with the Spirit(Acts 19),
to again be filled . Why would Paul instruct Spirit filled people
to be filled again? The Greek rendering of, ‘be filled with the Spirit,’ actually
could be read, ‘be being filled with the Spirit.’
What
does this mean in a practical sense? It means I should continue
to do what is necessary to maintain a Spirit filled life. The plan of God under the New Covenant is that
every believer be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Paul
was making it clear that Spirit filled believers must make speaking in tongues a daily practice
in order to stay filled up with the Holy Spirit. This constant spiritual exercise helps the
believer maintain the glow of a Spirit filled life. Every Christian living under the NT should be continually
filled with the Spirit worshiping in the Spirit. One major way we do this is through worship in other tongues.
Look at the passage in Colossians.
Col 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms [spiritual poem or ode, can be sung, chanted, recited,
I Cor 14:26 …when you come together everyone of you hath a psalm..] and hymns [a song of praise and worship directed
toward God] and spiritual songs [a song that brings forth the revelation of the word],
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
What are the benefits of speaking to ourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual
songs:
1. Authentic intimacy
2.
Worship in Spirit and Truth ( read John 4)
3.
Edification
4. Detachment from the world (its influence)
I am
convinced that neglecting the gift in them is one of the biggest mistakes Spirit filled believers make. Many point back to the day or moment that they began or entered into this glorious Spirit filled life
but have not done the things necessary to maintain it. Thank God for the day I first yielded
to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. However, that was just day one of what should be an ongoing new dimension
in my fellowship with the Father. If I cease to do the things that the
experience made possible I won’t be able to maintain it.
Many
believers were filled with the Spirit in the past and have not spoken in tongues since that time. We must
maintain a fresh experience with God. And this is our responsibility.
Let’s close by looking at three passages.
I
Tim 4:14
Do not neglect the gift that is in you,
II
Tim 1:6
Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which
is in you……
Acts 3:19
Repent
therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence
of the Lord,..
Are you ready to take advantage of times of refreshing?
