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<strong>
<p align="center">Filled with the Spirit</p>
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<blockquote>After they prayed, the place where they were   meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and   spoke the word of God boldly&quot; Acts 4:31 (see also 2:1-4).</blockquote>
<p>God fills us with His Spirit to empower us for ministry (Acts 1:8;   Luke 24:49). The Bible also calls this being &quot;baptised in the Holy   Spirit&quot; (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5). This is not just a one time   experience, but is meant to be an important part of our daily walk with   God (Acts 4:8; 13:9,52).</p>
<blockquote>&quot;Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.   Instead, be filled with the Spirit&quot; Ephesians 5:18 (read Luke 11:9-13;   Acts 5:32).</blockquote>
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<p>Streams of Living Water</p>
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<blockquote>&quot;'Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has   said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this he   meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.   Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet   been glorified&quot; John 7:37-39 (read Isaiah 44:3,19-20).</blockquote>
<p>We are not filled with the Holy Spirit for our own sake, but in order   to minister to others (read Ephesians 5:18-19). The living water is not   just for us to drink but to flow out from us as streams of living   water, touching other lives.</p>
<blockquote>&quot;Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge   from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a   great rock in a thirsty land&quot; Isaiah 32:2 (see also verse 6).</blockquote>
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<p>Two Ways of Ministry</p>
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<p>There are two ways we can live life (read Jeremiah 17:5-8).   There are also two ways we can minister. When the Lord rebuked Israel,   He pinpointed two primary sins:</p>
<blockquote>&quot;My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me,   the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken   cisterns that cannot hold water&quot; Jeremiah 2:13.</blockquote>
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<p>The spring of living water</p>
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<blockquote>&quot;O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you   will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in   the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living   water&quot; Jer.17:13.</blockquote>
<p>The life of God is like a spring of water. It is constant, never   drying up. God wants us to spend time in His presence each day, drawing   from the spring of His life. As we are filled with God's Spirit, this   spring will overflow in Spirit-filled ministry.</p>
<blockquote>&quot;...but whoever drinks the water I give him will never   thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of   water welling up to eternal life&quot; John 4:14 (see also Revelation 21:6).</blockquote>
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<p>Leaking cisterns</p>
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<p>But many Christians have forsaken the spring of   living water and &quot;dug their own cisterns.&quot; A cistern is like a well, but   has no independent source of water. The water must be brought from   another place. Many Christians find that their life leaks. They go to   church on Sunday, but by Monday all the joy, peace and power has leaked   away. They have built cisterns modeled after the ways of this world (see   John 14:27).</p>
<p>We can only truly minister out of the spring of God's Spirit. If we   try to minister to people in our own strength and ability, independent   from God's Spirit, we will either dry up or burn out. Whether in life or   in ministry, we too must learn the lesson that God taught Zerubbabel:</p>
<blockquote>&quot;...'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty&quot; Zechariah 4:6.</blockquote>
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<p>Life in Overflow</p>
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<blockquote>&quot;...You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows&quot; Psalm 23:5.</blockquote>
<p>Jesus not only came to give us <em>eternal </em>life (John 10:28), but also <em>abundant </em>life   (John 10:10). God has designed the Christian life to be so abundant   that it is in overflow. God does not just give us the peace we need for   our lives. He gives more than we need, so that we can share it with   others (Matthew 10:13). God does not just supply enough victory to   overcome our problem. He gives us more than we need, so that we can   share our victory with others (Romans 8:37; Ephesians 3:20).</p>
<p>The Bible records many aspects of the Christian experience that God desires to be in overflow:</p>
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        Love (Romans 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:12)
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     Joy (2 Cor. 8:2; Phil. 1:26; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 Thess.1:6)
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     Peace (Jude 2; 2 Thess. 3:16; Col. 3:15)
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     Hope (Romans 15:13)
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     Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:5)
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     Thanksgiving (2 Cor. 4:15; 9:12; Col. 2:7)
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     Praise (Psalm 119:171)
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     Giving (Luke 6:38)
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     Grace (1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Peter 1:2)
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     Blessing (John 1:16; Ephesians 1:3) 
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  </ul>
</ul>
<blockquote>&quot;May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you   trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the   Holy Spirit&quot; Romans 15:13 (see also Romans 14:17; 2 Peter 1:3).</blockquote>
<p>There are two ways we can minister to other people - whether it be in   witness, prayer or any other kind of ministry. We can minister out of a   pressure to perform - to obey the outward rules and regulations that   are necessary for us to be &quot;a good Christian.&quot; Or we can minister out of   the overflow of our own experience in the Lord.</p>
<blockquote>&quot;The good man brings good things out of the good stored up   in his heart...For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks&quot;   Luke 6:45.</blockquote>
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<p>Beyond Measure</p>
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<blockquote>&quot;Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more   than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work   within us&quot; Ephesians 3:20 (see also Jude 20).</blockquote>
<p>God wants us to be filled with His Spirit and empowered for ministry   each and every day. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit &quot;without   limit&quot; (John 3:34) and God is preparing His people to be filled &quot;to the   measure of all the fullness of God.&quot;</p>
<blockquote>&quot;I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen   you with power through his Spirit in your inner being...that you may be   filled to the measure of all the fullness of God&quot; Ephesians 3:16,19 (see   also 1:23; 4:13; Colossians 2:9-10).</blockquote>
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