Monday, February 02, 2009

Let the Good Times Roll!

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
(Ephesians 5:18-21 – ESV)

Now this text doesn’t mean you can only be filled with the Spirit while you are inside of the church building or at some church function. We are to be filled in our everyday lives. This text is simply telling us that we need to be plugged into a local body of believers and doing the speaking, singing, sanctifying, and submitting in that context, and then we can expect to be filled with the Spirit in other situations we live in as well.

Is your time being given to being filled with the Spirit? That is the proper pursuit, whether it be in the context of church, home, work, recreation, service, friends, or whatever and whenever and wherever you may be, you can keep being filled with the Spirit. Diligently seeking, that is how to let the good times roll. Otherwise we are just drunk on the devil’s plan.

If you find yourself going after God’s plan, you will find things working out right more often than not, and even when things seemingly go wrong, you will have a different perspective about them, and you can be filled with the Spirit through them, and actually learn something so it wasn’t all a big waste. As good as things could be, that is how good they can be, even in bad situations because you are FILLED with the Spirit!

God wants you to be filled with the Spirit and live the Spirit filled life in any and all the endeavors of your daily existence. We are not talking about staying in a closet or being some kind of monk, we are talking about living your life to the glory of God. The way to be refreshed in life is to keep being filled with the Spirit. To not do that is to take God’s Word and commands and hold them in contempt, and God opposes the proud, remember?

Regardless of what is happening on earth, and in your life, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Information is increasing, technology is advancing, civility is declining, and persecution is coming, but God’s truth is as true as it ever was and will always be. Same old sin, the same old humanity, and the same old need for Jesus. But the word of the Lord remains forever. “And this word is the good news that was preached to you" (1 Peter 1:25). No matter what the change the power of God remains. Our constant hope is that God is God, and He demands that we pursue being filled with the Spirit.

Again, speaking, singing, sanctifying, and submitting in the context of community. This is being in God’s will and how we can be developing a Spirit filled life. That will bring the light of Christ to our situations no matter how they appear to the rest of the world. Believe me, in these coming dark days God will still be calling people into His marvelous light. The question is, will you be consumed with the darkness, or will you let your light shine? Are you going to be filled with fear, or filled with the Spirit? It is high time to let the good times roll!

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

6 comments:

Even So... said...

This is the ninth post in this series...

Even So... said...

Actually it is the tenth...

Even So... said...

I had forgotten the "I'm Not but I Am" post from 12-15-08, all the rest have been recent...

MrsEvenSo... said...

No matter what the change the power of God remains. Our constant hope is that God is God, and He demands that we pursue being filled with the Spirit.

Amen. Praise God His power remains no matter the circumstance. Blessed be His Holy name!

Even So... said...

Indeed...

Even So... said...

No one "got" the idea of the picture?

Filled with the Spirit means fruit of the Spirit, and the apples rolling out of the basket are like "Let the Good Times Roll"...