The Holy Spirit – Increase of God’s Fullness!

The Holy Spirit – Increase of God’s Fullness!

There are two very interesting parables Jesus shared in Matthew 25, one of which dealt with the wise virgins and the other with two profitable servants. Simply, the difference between the wise and foolish virgins in the story was that the wise virgins had plenty of oil, whereas the foolish ones did not. Likewise, the profitable servants increased their talents, whereas the unprofitable servant buried his talent and failed to produce the increase.

Oil in the Parable of Virgins!

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. ‘And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut” (Matthew 25:1-10).

Oil is a type of Holy Spirit. Any increase in oil in our lives is indicative of the increase of the fullness of God, which is far too different from showing up one day in a church, repeating the prayer someone asked you to do, and checking the box that you are a believer. There are people walking with God with an experience of an increase in oil in their lives, and then there are those playing God and the church that have a form of godliness but with no power or oil in their lives.

Notice what the wise virgins told the foolish ones:

“No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves!”

The word “buy” caught my attention! This means that both the wise and the foolish virgins had the initial deposit of oil, but the wise virgins “bought the oil” throughout their lives, while the foolish ones never bothered to.

Talents in Servants!

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and made another five talents. And likewise, he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground and hid his lord’s money” (Matthew 25:14-18).

Talents are gifts of the Holy Spirit given by God according to the individual’s ability for God’s service. The servants who increased their talents had to lose their talents to invest wisely with the wisdom of God. This means that they will have to give up their lives to the cross, only to be directed by the Holy Spirit to invest their services in God, for God alone will multiply their talents. Jesus told His disciples: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).

The unprofitable servants, like the foolish virgins, walked into God’s service, checked the box that they were called, but did not lose their lives to the cross. Losing is the prerequisite to gaining. We must lose ourselves to God before gaining everything of God in His fullness.

In the context of the increase in oil and talents, this message is simple in that the Holy Spirit alone leads us to the increase of both in our lives as we completely yield ourselves to God! Every single EXPERIENCE IN GOD leads us to the INCREASE OF GOD in our lives! The wise virgins and the profitable servants had experience with God throughout their lives, whereas the others did not!

The Holy Spirit Abides Forever with the Saints!

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Parakletos), that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to a believer. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are born again. It is equally important that we constantly and continuously submit to God to experience the increase of the fullness of the Holy Spirit (increase of oil and talents) in our lives.

Teaches Saints!

“But the Helper (Comforter, Parakletos), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).

Every time you learn from God’s Word, the oil and the talents increase in your life! As we spend time in God’s word, the Holy Spirit will shed light on a portion or a collection of God’s word to convey a personal message of edification, exhortation, and comfort that will stay with you for the rest of your life!

Here is my example. In the very first year of our marriage, I was busy as a graduate student at the Pennsylvania State University. When Hema and I got into a couple of arguments, I cried out to God: “Lord, I love my precious Hema. Why would I hurt her with arguments? How do I enjoy a great marriage?”

The reply came immediately from the Holy Spirit. I was admonished to take a paper and pen and write down the most important things that came into existence in the Bible in the order in which they came initially. The Holy Spirit prompted me that if I kept that order in my life, I would have a blessed marriage with God.

The list in the order of God:

1)     God: God existed in the very beginning: “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1). An Eternal and Everlasting Relationship with God is My First Priority!

2)     Spouse: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So, God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).  The second-most exciting thing in God’s creation is that of man together with the woman before the woman was separated from the man. Priority Two: My Relationship in Equal Covenant Partnership Until Death with My Precious Hema!

3)     Children: “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, ‘I have acquired a man from the Lord’” (Genesis 4:1). The third most important in the creation activity of God is the children. Priority Three: My Relationship with My Children Until God Releases Them to Their Own Homes!

4)     Church/Godly Fellowship: “And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26). The awareness of God came upon the earth after Seth and Enosh. Priority Four: A Godly Fellowship (Church) to Keep Me Close to God and in Line with God!

5)     Job/Workmanship/Career: God gave the design of the ark to Noah, which is like the workmanship and expertise God blessed every individual with: “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred [b]cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits” (Genesis 6:14-15). Priority Five: My Job/Career Until I retire from it!

This order was given to me and Hema, and I have kept it for over 44 years! Apostle Paul confirms this same order in his epistles to Ephesians (Ephesians 5:25-27; 6:1-9; Colossians 3:18-22).

The learning from God’s Word that stays with us changes us and transforms us into enjoying God’s very best with the increase of God’s anointing in our lives!

Imparts the Love of God!

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance (endurance); and perseverance, character (approved); and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

“The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us!” – A definite experience of swimming in the ocean of God’s love was given to me in 1984 during prayer. I saw myself in the middle of an ocean with the ocean inside of me. I heard the voice of the Lord, “This is the ocean of My love for you, My son.” That changed my life forever! It was not a vision with a one-time experience, but an everlasting one that I am experiencing even today! That increase in oil will stay with me forever!

Communicate Joy to the Saints!

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

Joy is a force of the Holy Spirit from heaven! The experience of joy in adversities stays with me to increase God in you.

In the very first year of our ministry, some 36 years ago, Hema and I prepared our home for prayer meetings, received people of all walks of life joyfully, and shared the word of God and prayed with them. Some of the people, not all, complained about our children and even charged us with insult that we lost control of our home. After every meeting was over, Hema and I were perplexed by the assault of words from people and lost our sleep. One early morning, after sharing about the pain caused by people for several hours, lying in our bed, I opened my eyes wide and told Hema: “Honey, our marriage bed is holy, but not tonight (this morning). There are so many people lying down in between us, disturbing our sleep!” Immediately, joy filled our hearts as we surrendered everything to God. That day, we were set free from such attacks from bothering us!

Another experience of learning from God that changed our lives forever!

Imparts Hope!

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13); “For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith” (Galatians 5:5).

“You may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!” – Sometimes, even after walking in faith during a trial, we must experience something even more special from God – HOPE, which is “Earnest Expectation” according to God’s word. It is that hope that carries us home to victory!

The story of Brian, one of our leaders of the Prayer Center: Several years ago, in a meeting, there was a word of knowledge of a spot in his liver, which was the fourth place the cancer had spread to. In the same meeting, we received the word that Brian would come out of it by the miracle intervention of God. It was not easy. Brian had to walk a hard path for 10 months with no doctors believing around him that he would be healed. His precious wife cried to God for several months. Hema and I fasted for several days and cried out to God. I remember the words of Brina then: “Brother John, I walked by faith and not by sight. But now, God has filled me with HOPE. Hope that is all I am holding on to come out of this ordeal. God is giving me hope!” Brian was healed 10 months later to the amazement of the doctors. His miracle story appeared in the national journals.

We will never forget the experience of Hope in adversities that changes us forever! God has increased, and we have decreased! The oil and the talent have increased!

Directs in the Way of Godliness!

“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).

We will remember every time God changed our direction from going one way, our way, to God’s way and God’s will! Write about your own experience here. The change in direction by God proves our obedience to Him, which increases His oil and talents that will keep us until Jesus returns!

Reveals the Future!

Prophet Simeon was assured by the Lord: “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). Simeon saw the Baby Jesus and blessed Him in his hands!

Prophet Agabus prophesied of Paul’s trial in Jerusalem:” “When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’” (Acts 21:11). Paul was tried in Jerusalem before he was sent to the Romans, the Gentiles!

When we walk in obedience to God and experience God filling us all along the way, we do not need to worry about the lack of oil and the talents because we have been consistently and constantly growing in the Lord. Every growth in the Lord is reflected in the increase of oil and talent in our lives. We will then not only be aware of the Bridegroom’s coming but will be ready to meet Him!

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, I love You and adore You. Thank You, Lord, for saving me by Your grace. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit, help me to be strengthened by doing Your will, and increase in Your anointing. Help me, Lord, to be aware of Your coming and be ready at the hour of Your coming. Lord, please help me to be a blessing to all in my family and surroundings so that they will be aware of Your Lordship over my life. In the most Precious and Wonderful Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen! Amen!!”  

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John Jeyaseelan

http://www.globalprayercenter.net