The Outpouring of the Lord.

I was able to go to the man I lost my cool with last night and appologize for my language. It worked out ok as he and I were able to speak for a little while about what and how we do things. We will see how it pans out in the long run but for now we are ok.

Many of you encouraged me with your words and most reminded me of righteous anger and how this was primarily ok. Amazingly I have been finding some mutual Discipleship in the young Chaplins Asistant Richard. While the Chaplin is away we have been sitting during prayer time and just talking. Yesterday after explaining what I had done he simply said you should appologize to him for your language. That that was the part that was not good.

Gary also used the example of Christ in the Temple Courts and chasing out the money changers and thieves. That He was acting in a righteous way and that Jesus was angry at these men. He stirred the question of righteuos and unrighteous in me which also helped me move past my own pride and determine that it was the best thing to do to appologize.

My father and wife along with Linda all also weighed in with encouragement with the situation. It was good to have the support and ultimately everyone came together to move me in the correct direction. Even two of my emailed devotionals dealt with the situation of anger. God has a way of always showing us the correct path to take.

Today, David M. sent me an email regarding be Spirit filled. It was a wonderful letter by the way. In this he describes to me that being Spirit filled is more like a sail then a vessel. This reminded me of my Blog of the wind. David explains that the Spirit is always there filling the sail but the direction of the boat determines how much. If we steer in a directions differently then the Spirit our sail will flutter as our sail will not be full. We must seek to keep in the direction of the wind.

Today I also read Utmost For His Highest, which also spoke of the of Lord pouring into us. That all that He pour into us should be poured out to those around us. That our lives as believers are to be an outpouring of His blessing through us. John 7:38 is the reference used "That he that believes in Me shall flow rivers of living water." Flow living water? Flow? We are told that we will have an outpouring through us to those around us.

If we are to follow Him, then in all reagdrs we are to empty ourselves of all that He gives us to those around us. He expects us to do this. So here is the point I am getting to. When I said over the last few days that I was tired and drained because of the outpouring from me, then I was in the right regards for that. Where I was amiss is in that I, like as in the reference from David M. was not steering the boat in the correct direction and allowing my sail to completely full and then spill over to those around me.

We are to be in constant fellowship with the Lord, the Spirit filling our sail, as we head in the right direction. From that the Lord will use everything he gives us to pour back out to those around us His grace, His Word. So I must keep focussed on Him and in turn know that I will be emptied. The trick is not plugging the holes, quiet the contrary it is to have more holes but also have more filling.

I allowed myself to dwell on the emptiness that I was feeling. I did not realize that the emptiness was the result of His blessing onto others from me. This should bring me solice. I should be focussed on the filling and not the emptiness. I should seek first Him and be thankful for His use of me for this outpouring. I should labor in my walk and rest in the outpouring from me for Him.