Overflowing vessel
Deuteronomy 34:9”Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.”
Boy, this scripture kind of made me go bonkers! You know what, you don’t have to roll your eyes, flex your muscles or holler out loud but without doing any of these things you can still command obedience and respect – that’s the power of the Holy Spirit! Glory to Jesus! Let’s look at the scripture again, Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. This is awesome! Moses had ‘so much’ in him that he was able to take some from the overflow and transfer it to Joshua, ah, we need such impartations in the body of Christ, is anybody listening to me? I am not talking about empty noise, hulla-bulla and vanity but I am talking about the power of the Holy Spirit. I have watched some preachers raise the volume of the mike or give some extra effect (like echo) so that their voice reverberates and sounds powerful, that’s comedy, hey, that cannot shoo away the demons, I am talking about real power of God.
The world today needs this power to make a lasting impact on people, not pick up mutton on the way from church but power that keeps your mind stick like glue to God. I remember hearing a sermon from a man of God that just shook me so badly that I shamelessly ran outside the church looking for him even after he left, my husband had to calm me down and take me home; however, I was till shivering and sobbing under the power of God. The world needs such powerful preaching today which can only come through an overflowing vessel. Moses had MUCH to give away because he had made the efforts, commitment and sacrifice to sit and have a ‘face to face’ talk with God. Wow! Is anything happening to you? As for me I am just going crazy for God, I write this after: ) spending the entire Friday night in prayer, b) fasting prayer on Saturday and after c) preaching at the Sunday service at church. I type this on Sunday afternoon and I am charged. I am looking, searching hungrily …. for people like Moses…….
Look, whatever we do or wherever we go, we got to leave a lasting impression in the minds of people, is anybody listening to me? We read about the death of Moses in verse 5, the story is not over though, you cannot close the chapter of Moses…. but the fire is still burning as we read about his assistant Joshua who has caught the fire from Moses. Such should be our life. Leaving golden foot prints behind…
A) ABUNDANT LIFE:
Jesus said, “I came that you may have life, and have it abundantly.” Did you hear that? Some of us are living pathetic lives without any desire whatsoever to push the bar and go higher up, closer to God. Christians are satisfied with two hours of church service and doing nothing during the week for God, giving nothing for God but peanuts from their pockets and gulping down the rest into their stomach and wear a big cross round their necks. That’s not abundant life but selfish life. I asked a young hindu convert about his salvation experience, he said that he came to know Jesus through his class teacher, he would start the class with prayer, also give free tuitions for weak students and tell them about Jesus every day. By the time he finished high school, he got saved. Amen. A person living an abundant life cannot be ordinary, you would be a channel for God everywhere you go. Jesus said in Mathew 12:34”….For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Proverbs 10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life..”
Even if I am teaching science or English to my children at the free school that we run for the poor, I would see to it that I somehow bring the Gospel into it. Many students while they share their testimonies would say, “ I came to know Jesus only after I joined Abide School”, “I gave up my bad habits after I joined this school”. Amen. God wants you to be an OVERFLOWING VESSEL!
When Rev Reinhard Bonnke went to Africa as an Evangelist and missionary, he made an impact on that continent. Record says that he has brought 75 million recorded conversions to Christ. Imagine! Don’t settle for less, you were not saved and transferred from darkness to light through the precious blood of Jesus just to live a status-quo life, no…no….Jesus said, “"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Jesus is looking for MUCH FRUIT! John 15:8 says: My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
B) GLORY TO GLORY:
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
Apostle Paul says that where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Amen and also we got to go from glory to glory. Mama should be an overflowing vessel, papa at home should be an overflowing vessel, grandmama and grandpapa should be an overflowing vessel. Whatever you people do should be filled with the Holy Spirit so that children are blessed. Don’t be afraid to offend the children and get them to the right track by saying ‘NO’ to unwanted stuff. Are you there? If a church is blessed with a Sunday class teacher that is an overflowing vessel, I tell you those kids would glow with anointing. An overflowing vessel would not be a guest at church, instead he would pick up and drop people to church in his car, help the pastor in church work, tidy the church, and what not – there are million jobs you can do for God if only you have the mind to do.
Make it a goal to go from glory to glory! I read the book of Philippians 75 times and the entire Bible around twice in 6 months and prepared for the ‘Leadership training camp’ that was held this May. I was the main speaker and I had to preach around 8 sermons, now I cannot do this without being filled myself. I had to drink and be FULL to start with, so that I could impart to the hungry people who traveled long distance to attend the meeting. The power of God hit the place! All glory to Jesus! Be an OVERFLOWING VESSEL!
C) EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL
Ephesians 3:19”.. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
God is able to do far and more than we ask for…….He is able to give us HEAPS of blessings! How can I not write about ELISHA when I am talking about an overflowing vessel? Even while he was very sick and seriously ill, he gave awesome guidance and instructions to Joash the king of Israel. His age or sickness did not dent his faith, power or anointing! Say Amen. Read this:
2 King 13:14 When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!"
15 Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows." So he took a bow and arrows.
16 Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." And he put his hand on it, then Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands.
17 He said, "Open the window toward the east," and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot!" And he shot. And he said, "The LORD's arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them."
8 Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck it three times and stopped.”
Yes, many of us stop with 3 rather than going for more and more……As you scroll down, we read in verse 20 ELISHA DIED. Chapter of Elisha is not over though, when the dead body of a man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet. Overflow of blood and death was stopped when the woman with an issue of blood for 18 years reached out and touched the garments of Jesus. Amen. Living an overflowing life for God!
Today I am emphasizing about being an overflowing vessel for God. Be it a statement on facebook or your DP picture …whatever…everything should have the stamp of an OVERFLOWING LIFE FOR GOD. Amen. I resigned my job with a multinational bank and joined the Lord as full time worker around 15 years back, we relocated our ministry and came to Hyderabad as missionaries to serve the poor around ten years back and we started a Government recognized English medium free school for the poor that caters to around 70 poor children. God bless you!
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