The Presence of the Holy Spirit is more than just a feeling, it’s a filling.

The more I study the scriptures, the more I realize it is not about me really, at all. It is all about letting Christ live through me. Then I begin to realize, through the Word, that I cannot live in my flesh and ask God to work in me at the same time. There has to be a death. There has to be an E M P T Y I N G of Hannah, so that there can be a F I L L I N G of the Holy Spirit. This makes sense to me. Think about it this way, you cannot fill a cute coffee mug with piping hot vanilla French-pressed coffee if it is already full of lukewarm coffee. You would need to empty that cute mug first so that you can fill it with the good golden stuff.

If you look throughout scripture you see this idea of being emptied so that God can do a work.

In 2 Kings 4 Elisha works a miracle by the power of God. He asked a widowed woman to find empty vessels so that God could fill them with oil.(It’s a pretty neat story; you should read it sometime!)

We see a similar reference to this in 2 Corinthians 4:7 where Paul says, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

In Philippians 2:7 Paul tells us that Jesus even emptied himself in order that he may live a life of a human on earth and be the perfect sacrifice on the cross for you and me.

Just like Christ was crucified, we must follow the same example as Galatians 5:24 says, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” We crucify that flesh so that the Holy Spirit can fill us.

So now since we see that we have to first empty ourselves to be filled, who does the filling?

The Holy Spirit! Yes. I am so glad that he does the work in us, as we saw in 2 Corinthians earlier. In Philippians 2:13 it says that, “…it is God who works I you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Guess what? The pressure is off you, dear friend. It is Christ who is going to fill you and work in you. The initial step you must take is to ask God to empty you. He will fill you and do the rest.

So why do you need to be filled with Him and not yourself?

He created you to bring him GLORY. You cannot honor Christ if you’re the one doing the living and doing. When you empty yourself, the Holy Spirit will fill you. Then you will be guided by Him. He will tell you what to do each step of the way.

“Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Isaiah 43:7

I exhort you, my brother or sister, to ask God to empty you so that you may be filled with him. All glory and honor is due Christ and he will receive that when you are filled with the Holy Spirit.

- Hannah

Surrendering Self. For the Sake of Genuine Community

For am I now seeking the approval of man or God? Or am I still trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

Sometimes I don't want to surrender to God. It's hard to do. It means killing my flesh. Dying to self. One thing that the Lord wants me to surrender to him is being a people-pleaser.  I am the type of person that wants everyone to like me and for people to be happy with me. That means not opening up completely to my community. Sometimes it means that I do not obey God when he tells me to do something because I am afraid that it will make someone upset.

 Through the years I have formed this mentality that I need to have my crap together when I go to small group/church. I think need to go into church with a smile on my face ready to just bless the socks off someone instead of being real with them and talking about the struggles and the victories that I had faced during that week.

This is an issue for church community. If we are not genuine with our own brothers and sisters in Christ who can we be genuine with? How beautiful would it be if we were just straight up honest with one another during our small group time! I understand that it is difficult to lay bare before people, but the church is to build each other up! How can the church family build you up if they do not know how broken down you are? 

Ephesians 4:1-3, 15-16

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

So, I am making a commitment to be real with my people. I am tired of the “Heyhowareyou” “Fine,you?” stuff. The end goal of being open and honest is to glorify the Lord. When the church is being uplifted by the believers within it, God's word is being honored.The church is such a fascinating work when we bear with one another in love and when we speak the truth!  I challenge you to be authentic about your walk with your people.

Community will become authentic, when we become authentic.

Brokenness

Brokenness, is a state of emotion that I tend to love and hate at different times in my life. Lately, I have kinda hated it. I am in a season of life where everything is a little uncertain and the future is totally unknown.

It has caused me to turn away from totally trusting in the steadfast faithfulness of the Sovereign One in the midst of this season. I have been confused, upset, and quiet frankly, empty. At times, I have allowed the darkness of lies from the enemy consume me. 

The Father has so graciously reminded me that...

There is Hope. There is Light. There is Truth. There is Rest. All found in Him. 

He has had to bring me to a point to where I couldn't pick myself off the floor. To a point to where I had nothing else to say, no more complaints, no more self-solutions, no more Hannah. He has reminded me that it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me. God orchestrated this season so that I would see that HE is the only source of life that can every completely satisfy my soul. Oh what a great Joy to know! 

In his sovereign plan, brokenness has led me to a point of desperation for Him. This brokenness has shown me the sin in my life.  This God-ordained brokenness has led me to ultimately give Glory to the King. 

Our pastor recently preached on the topic of brokenness and it was not by accident. He expounded upon the verses in Psalm 66:10-20. The end of that passage says this; 

"I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you, that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble....Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer."

The Lord is faithful and I praise him for the seasons of brokenness in my life because I am learning more and more that these season draw me closer to him. 

"Come and see what God has done; he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man...Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!"


So brother or sister, take heart! Know that even n the midst of brokenness he is drawing you closer to him.