TOPIC: DON'T BE EMPTY
MEMORISE:
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. - (Ephesians 5:18)
READ: ACTS 19:12-16
12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
MESSAGE:
A few weeks ago, I mentioned in this devotional that if it is possible to be filled with the Holy Spirit, it is also possible to be empty. The Lord, however, does not want His children to be empty. In (1 Samuel 16:1), God told Samuel, "Arise, fill thy horn with oil," meaning that the horn was empty and needed to be filled.
In (1 Samuel 16:14), after David had been anointed as king, the Spirit of God departed from Saul, and because nature abhors a vacuum, an evil spirit took over. Being empty of the Holy Spirit is a dangerous state; therefore, you must avoid anything that can lead to that. I pray that you will never be empty of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name.
Years ago, something happened at ljebu-Ode, a town in Ogun State, Nigeria. There was a little misunderstanding between our parish members over there and some occultic people, and the latter decided to put shigidi (a crude figurine used by the occult to invoke an evil spirit to cause havoc on their targets) in front of the parish. When it was discovered, one of my spiritual sons destroyed it with a cutlass. If he had been empty spiritually, he might have died immediately. The occultic people then decided to come to the church for a physical confrontation. When one of them entered the church, he took a step forward and staggered. On taking another step, he fell.
Beloved, the devil is roaming about, looking for whom to devour (1 Peter 5:8). So as not to be his victim, you must always be full of the Holy Spirit. No matter how hard he tries, you will always win against him if you're always filled with the Holy Spirit.
The seven sons of Sceva in today's Bible reading were empty fellows. They wanted to cast out a demon and thought they would succeed just by commanding it to leave in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preached. They went before the demon-possessed man empty and were disgraced. People who think they can replicate good results without paying the necessary price always get themselves into trouble. Being empty of God's power and presence is a dangerous state to be in because evil spirits are always looking for empty places to dwell (Matthew 12:43-45).
Don't give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27); don't allow evil spirits to take over your vessel. Ensure you always remain filled with the Holy Spirit so you can always walk in victory.
KEY POINT:
You must always be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is dangerous to be empty.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EZEKIEL 1-4
AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE
HYMNAL: 8 - I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR
1 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
most gracious Lord;
no tender voice like Thine
can peace afford.
Refrain:
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
ev'ry hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.
2 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
stay Thou nearby;
temptations lose their pow'r
when Thou art nigh. [Refrain]
3 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
in joy or pain;
come quickly and abide,
or life is vain. [Refrain]
4 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
teach me Thy will;
and Thy rich promises
in me fulfill. [Refrain]
5 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son. [Refrain]
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