FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST, LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness. (Luke 4:1 New Living Translation)
Please note that the Lord Jesus – our number one role model and the head – was not just full of the Holy Spirit, he was, in fact actually led by the Spirit.
A colleague of mine in high school once pointed out that many want to be seen or referred to as being born again. But how many wants to or desire to do the will God? Hmm. There is a whole lot of truth and reality behind that statement, wouldn’t you agree. Likewise many professed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. But how many are truly led by the Spirit? Just about anyone can be filled with the Spirit these days. After all, this “was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘in the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. (Acts 2:14-18 NLT)
Yet the question remains. How many believers actually make yielding to the leadership of the Holy Spirit an integral part of their lifestyle?
Let’s draw an analogy between our lives and a car. Having the Holy Spirit in our lives is like having him in the car (of our lives). Many profess to have him in their car everywhere they go. But the question remains: Is He in the back seat, the passenger seat or in the driver seat? This question is quite revealing. Our level of spiritual vigour and success lies a great deal in the answer to the question of the space the Holy Spirit is allotted in our lives.
Indeed, it is true as the scripture states that “people who prophesy are in control of their spirit” (I Corinthians 14:32 NLT)
And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. (New King James Version)
Yet the Word of God cautioned
Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. (I Thessalonians 5:19 NLT)
Do not quench the Spirit. (NKJV)
Also
And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30 NLT)
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (NKJV)
As regards the presence of the Holy Spirit aka Spirit of the Lord in the car of our lives, let’s put it this way. Though you and I may think that the car is ours, yet the control and leadership is His. How does He assume leadership and control in the car? By being in the driver seat, of course. He will lead and control if you let Him. Or to whatever extent you allow Him.
Shortly before the physical presence and appearance the Lord Jesus on the face of the earth was over, he pointed something crucial out to us:
4 Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember I warned you. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer. 5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and none of you has asked me where I am going. 6 Instead, you are very sad. 7 But it is actually best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Counsellor won’t come. If I do go away, he will come because I will send him to you. ............. 12 “Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me. (John 16:4-7,12-15 NLT)
And that is the job description of the Holy Spirit – if you let Him! His job or mission is to lead. Ours is to follow. Ever wonder why Jesus Christ had such a successful ministry when he walked the face of the earth? Ever wonder how an individual berated constantly by his detractors as an ordinary carpenter, a glutton, a winebibber, a demon-possessed charlatan, a destroyer of religious traditions, and an insolent rogue still managed to accomplish in three and a half years what the combined effort of all religious figureheads and wannabes (his detractors inclusive) could not accomplish in three and a half millennia? Ever wonder how an individual with 12 disciples and often meagre resources could manage to accomplish God-glorifying tasks that echo through the ages, and that ricochet through the pages of history books? How?
Well, to start with, “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty. 7 Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will flatten out before him! Then Zerubbabel will set the final stone of the Temple in place, and the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’” (Zechariah 4:6,7 NLT)
Keep in mind, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go ........ (Luke 4:1 NLT)
Jesus did not speak on his own authority. Rather, he relied heavily on the Spirit of truth whose job is to “guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears (from the Father) He will speak.”
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me (by the power of His Spirit) (John 14:10 NLT).
19 .........., because you will be given the right words at the right time. 20 For it won’t be you doing the talking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew 10:19,20 NLT)
Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honour My Father, .......... And I do not seek My own glory; .......... “ (John 8:49,50 NKJV)
28 So Jesus said, “........that I do nothing on my own, but I speak what the Father taught me (through the guidance and leadership of the Spirit of truth). 29 And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do those things that are pleasing to him.” 30 Then many who heard him say these things believed in him. (John 8:28,29-30 NLT)
The Lord Jesus faced lots of odds in the course of his earthly ministry. Odds such as having to feed his audience and yet so little food available (Matthew 14:13-21), his disciples not living up to His expectation (Matthew 17:14-21. Mark 9:14-29. John 13:21-30), his rejection and condemnation by critics and sceptics (Matthew 15:1-16. Mark 14:1-11. John 11:45-57), inability by some individuals (including his disciples) to understand him (John 12:16-19) , etc. Despite these odds, he had the upper hand and established an indestructible legacy. Today, and forever more, he has become an icon. Even the enemies of the cross and critics of the Lord cannot deny that without risking being seen as fools. Jesus Christ is not just an icon. He has the name above all names!
9 Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 NLT)
50 And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God wants to glorify me. Let him be the judge. (John 8:50 NLT)
Apostle Paul wrote “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. (Ephesians 5:17 NLT)
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (NKJV)
The Lord Jesus included the phrase “may your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven” (Mathew 6:10 NLT) in the Lord’s prayer.
How do you think His will will be accomplished?
63 It is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life (John 6:63 NLT).
It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profit nothing. (NKJV)
Yielding to the leadership of the Holy Spirit is very important if we are to overcome the works of the flesh and the antics of the powers of darkness.
Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak.” (Mark 14:38 NLT)
You see how Jesus (though in human flesh like you and me) floored Satan in Luke 4:1-13? You wondering how an individual who has probably been weakened by hunger still manage to have the spiritual strength to cope with the manipulation and deceit of a cunning creature like Lucifer? You wondered how Jesus managed to discern the tricks, ulterior motives and wiles of the evil one even though the Messiah seemed corner in the wilderness all by himself? “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit ........ (Luke 4:1 NLT)
As mentioned earlier on the Holy Spirit being in the car of your life isn’t going to be enough. As a matter of fact, Satan and his cohorts wouldn’t care less that you have the Holy Spirit with you in your car everywhere you go. For as long as He is not in the driver seat. When you make a decision to allow the Holy Spirit to be in the driver seat, the devil gets agitated and will endeavour to stage circumstances that will make you want to do otherwise. See how he confronted Jesus in the wilderness? Satan knows how formidable an opponent you will turn out to be. Soon you will join the ranks of those believers who are just too hot to handle. Like the Lord himself proved to be in Luke 4:1-13. Imagine if every believer proved to be as red hot as the Lord proved to be in Luke 4:1-13? Pheeew! The powers of darkness are in BIG trouble. Can we prove to be as red hot as the Master? YES. In fact “the truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father......... 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. (John 14:12,16-17 NLT)
Keep in mind that saying about not letting Satan in the car of your life. You let him in the back seat, sooner or later, he winds up in the driver seat. It’s easy for the devil to cunningly take control of the wheels if you are the one behind it. With the Holy Spirit behind the wheels, Lucifer stands no chance at all. Just too hot to handle. Which explains why “when the Devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came” (Luke 4:13 NLT). When he discovered who was in the driver seat, he fled when he couldn’t penetrate. But he hoped to return and see if an opportunity will present itself. Will you continue to make yourself vulnerable to the antics of the powers of darkness by not adopting a lifestyle of having the Holy Spirit play the leadership role in your life at all times?
God bless.
Yours
Adekunle Majek’
H I A F E M
Of Impact, Quality & Excellence
That’s the Spirit!
P.S. I believe that the Lord has used this piece to bless you immensely. Why not share it with others?
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