Personal thoughts on knowing God, and being filled with the Spirit of God

The following are my personal thoughts from some time I spent reflecting on where the Spirit filled life flows from. If you feel like digging in, join me!

Matthew 13:18-23 (The Message)
18 "Study this story of the farmer planting seed. 19 When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road.
20" The seed cast in the gravel--this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. 21 But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
22 "The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.
23" The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams."

Person -> hears AND takes in the NEWS -> produces harvest beyond wildest dreams

Person+Word of God taken in = harvest

Key thought- hear and take in the word of God

Hear:

The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon
 Strong's Number:   191   
Original Word Word Origin
ajkouvw a root
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry
Akouo 1:216,34
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
ak-oo'-o    Verb
 Definition
to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf
to hear
to attend to, consider what is or has been said
to understand, perceive the sense of what is said
to hear something
to perceive by the ear what is announced in one's presence
to get by hearing learn
a thing comes to one's ears, to find out, learn
to give ear to a teaching or a teacher
to comprehend, to understand

 King James Word Usage - Total: 437
hear 418, hearken 6, give audience 3, hearer 2, miscellaneous

Understand:
  Strong's Number:   4920   
Original Word Word Origin
sunivhmi from (4862) and hiemi (to send)
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry
Suniemi 7:888,1119
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
soon-ee'-ay-mee    Verb
 Definition
to set or bring together
in a hostile sense, of combatants
to put (as it were) the perception with the thing perceived
to set or join together in the mind
i.e. to understand: the man of understanding
idiom for: a good and upright man (having the knowledge of those things which pertain to salvation)
 
 King James Word Usage - Total: 26
understand 24, consider 1, be wise 1


In personal reflection, the overflow of the Spirit is encountered in my life when I am truly immersing myself in the study of the Word. The Word is where we get to know God, and it would seem that we would need to know God to hear him.

A brief thought:
As the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one; so it seems the Word, purposeful prayer, and the Gifts of the Spirit are one

Pursuing Christ, and the Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 13:31-33
31 Another story. "God's kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. 32 It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it."
33 Another story. "God's kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread--and waits while the dough rises."

31- time to grow
33- time to rise. Also, yeast infiltrates every part of the dough, thus producing rising bread. Yeast produces results. The Kingdom worked into a life produces results.

Matthew 13:52 The Message:
52 He said, "Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it."

Matthew 13:52 AMP
52 He said to them, Therefore every teacher and interpreter of the Sacred Writings who has been instructed about and trained for the kingdom of heaven and has become a disciple is like a householder who brings forth out of his storehouse treasure that is new and [treasure that is] old [the fresh as well as the familiar].

Matthew Henrys Commentary on Mt 13:52
4. A skillful, faithful minister of the gospel, is a scribe, well versed in the things of the gospel, and able to teach them. Christ compares him to a good householder, who brings forth fruits of last year's growth and this year's gathering, abundance and variety, to entertain his friends. Old experiences and new observations, all have their use. Our place is at Christ's feet, and we must daily learn old lessons over again, and new ones also.


Jamieson, Fosset and Brown Commentary on Mt 13:52

52. Then said he unto them, Therefore--or as we should say, "Well, then." every scribe--or Christian teacher: here so called from that well-known class among the Jews. (See Mt 23:34 ). which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven--himself taught in the mysteries of the Gospel which he has to teach to others. is like unto a man that is an householder which bringeth forth--"turneth" or "dealeth out." out of his treasure--his store of divine truth. things new and old--old truths in ever new forms, aspects, applications, and with ever new illustrations.


Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' 38 This is the most important, the first on any list. 39 But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' 40 These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

Love the Lord your God with all your Passion, Prayer, and Intelligence. Loving God and moving in the Spirit isn't feminine. It can have a form of strength, masculinity. Look at Acts, it was the Apostles who were moving in the Spirit. They set the example. But they were also rooted in the Truth. The Word of God makes us aware of what we are hearing- is it truth from the Spirit? Or is it from ones inner thoughts or desires? Instruction on guidelines could be beneficial. The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Word of God, for the Word is God-breathed, spirit-breathed.
.....

John 15:7-8
7 But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. 8 This is how my Father shows who he is--when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples...

John 15:16
16 "You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.

Personal thought: depth of true worship can only come from a knowledge of the one you are worshipping, your theology of God. Depth of moving in the Spirit comes from abiding in His words and prayer where the Spirit works intimately in you, which then pours out in the giftings. But the key in Jesus words seems to be that you must seek God first. What good are Spiritual gifts if they aren't overflowing from a desire to know God more?