Fresh Filling

I had an interesting dream Saturday night.  I had driven home to MN, to my parents home and property.  I was driving with a friend on our way to a conference.  My car crapped out once I got there, and I wanted to borrow one of my dad's.  He had a couple vehicles in a storage garage, and a couple of my previous cars  that didn't run well.  Anyway, we were thinking of  borrowing one and we were looking around, and he had this cool red race car, that was based on an old Mopar product.  Anyway, I asked Dad when the last time was that he had driven any of them, but it had been several years.  He was good with us borrowing any of his cars, and the choice was obvious! :-)   We realized that any gas that he had in them was probably stale, and that we would need to drain that fuel and replace it with new.  That was the dream.

As I woke up the Lord reminded me of the dream and said, "you need fresh filling", and I knew instantly that He meant with the Holy Spirit.  I immediately thought of several scriptures where Holy Spirit was poured out on the church.  

Did you ever wonder why the Holy Spirit seemed to get poured out multiple times in scriptures?  I think there is a reality to our life, that we need fresh filling to be ready for what's next, and/or to help us recover from what we have just gone through that has worn us down, and that is what we see as we look at some of these scriptures.

Here are just some of the instances of Holy Spirit being poured out starting with Acts 2:1-4 NIV:

[1] "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. [2] Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. [3] They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. [4] All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

Clearly a pouring out for empowerment and preparation for major changes.

-and- 

Acts 4:31 NIV:  "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."

This followed Peter and John being arrested for preaching Jesus.

-and- 

Acts 13:52 NIV:  "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."

Paul and Barnabas had just seen some very successful ministry shut down by jealous Jews who cast them out of the region, so they shook the dust from their feet and headed out to new locations.

-and-

Acts 10:44 NIV:  "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message."

Peter is bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles for the first time, and the church is getting ready for a massive expansion.

-and- 

Acts 19:6 NIV:  "When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied."

Paul is praying for the first converts in Ephesus, and the church is just getting ready to explode and come under great pressure.

Clearly the Lord was giving new fuel to the Church for coming days of expansion and persecution.  It seems to me that maybe He is doing a similar thing now, both corporately and personally.  

Going back to the dream, cars normally represent personal ministry (Vehicle) and fresh fuel would represent a refreshing of Holy Spirit, who provides any power that we have!  I thought it was interesting that I could have likely dusted off any of my old cars too, and maybe the inclusion of those represents options or reminder to make sure that we look back in our lives and remember all the Lord has done, and could still do in us and through us.  What really encouraged me was that I had the opportunity to borrow one of my dad's cars, a fast and fun one!  In this dream, my dad would represent our heavenly Father, and this new car, would represent a new ministry I have not stepped into previously.

More than that though, what really "Gasses me up" is the idea that Holy Spirit wants to pour out on us a fresh outpouring of power (gas) and anointing (oil)!  

Oh Lord, I know I  need Your refilling, Your refreshing, a new filling!  Fill Me up that I might burn for You!  Fill Me up that I might have the power I need to recover or to press into a new experience!  Fill us all up that the Church might expand and endure all that we experience in these coming days!

Amen and Amen!