I was listening to a message by Bill Johnson called "Filled with His Fullness" when I began to fall in love with this passage in Scripture in Ephesians 3:14-21. I didn't fall in love with a bunch of words or ideas but with the invitation of God to be person that was so filled with God's Presence that He simply leaks out of you as you live. Bill did his research and found that Paul wrote this passage of Scripture out of the experience of being stoned to death and then visiting the throne room of God in a heavenly encounter. We know this based on some historical research and the connection with 2 Corinthians 12, Paul has either a near death or actual death from stoning and this incredible revelation and vision of what the church is to be in the future. He delivers the message to the church in Ephesus which is a vibrant church who is on fire for the Lord without compromise and actually seeing victory over the local occult. Paul is actually encouraging them that they can go to another level of Presence, power, freedom, and love in Christ. Paul in a Throne Room encounter with the Father comes back with this incredible vision which is more like a dream because of it's magnitude. I love the amplified version for understanding the meaning of a passage, so here is the passage in Ephesians 3:16-21 "May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it)." The language in this passage is beyond expressive but takes into the realm of heaven on earth, where people are so transformed, filled with His Presence, experiencing His love, and walking in power that Christ in them is a force to be reckoned with. Father has been speaking to me about being filled unto all the fullness of God, that He wants me so saturated with His Presence and nature that I am like a saturated sponge ready to leak Him onto others. Yet the lies of the Enemy, allowing others to distract me from His Presence, the weariness of life, and a natural mindset taking me away from this dream. In my natural adult reason I can come up with 1,000 reasons why God can't do that in me, because this is more of a childlike dream where you sit in wander. It would be much easier to be filled unto all the fullness of God if I didn't seem to leak out His Presence and love, desperately needing to be refilled. In 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul talks about having these treasure in clay pots, like cracked or frail clay pots. Why is it that we can be in worship and so in the Presence experiencing God's love and another moment be frustrated, quick-tempered, discouraged, or despairing? I believe because in our frailty we agree with lies and discouragement, seemingly losing our awareness of God in those moments yet He is always with us and available. I pray as you read this passage and the Holy Spirit speaks to you, that you would be hungry to experience His fullness not just getting by on a 1/4 tank hope not to run out.
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