Lord, fill this building!

    You know, twice in the book of Acts, the Holy Ghost filled the building and one time, even shook the building.  They were, in that service, in the words of Elvis, "all shook up".   Can you imagine?  When the Holy Ghost filled the house back there in Acts, you couldn't move over to the frozen chosen section to get away from the noisy, radical, Spirit-filled crowd.  You couldn't whisper in pastor's ear that he needs to turn down the sound system and caution the young people about "getting in the flesh".  In such a service (Acts 4) , even before the Holy Ghost filled the people, He filled the building.  Wow!  Would that ever make church exciting!  I suspect being saturated would become easier if the building was already filled when we got there. I have a sneaking feeling that if you can't get the building filled with the Holy Ghost, the people in it are going to have a hard time being filled. 

    Ever wondered how much effort is put into getting your church building "filled" with the Holy Ghost?  The modern church has no such dream at all of having a Spirit-filled building, OR, Spirit-filled people for that matter.  They put forth little energy for either.   They are far more interested in getting it filled with people than with the Holy Ghost.  Oh, they spend lots of time and energy getting people in that building.  Their thirst for people is far greater than their thirst for the Holy Ghost.  Jesus died to give us the Holy Ghost, and it is a shame so few give a hoot about the Spirit.  We are just busy, busy little beavers doing our own thing.  Too busy to be bothered by the inconvenience of having God show up and disrupt our project.  It is good to want more people to come, but if the Holy Ghost doesn't show up, what do you  really have?  I have another sneaky feeling: getting the building filled is one of those little "foolish" things God has chosen to throw smart people off track. It may be one of those little secrets to success, hidden in plain sight.

    Wouldn't it be great to come to a church building, void of politics, ladder climbing, manipulation stuff and just drink and absorb what God has filled it with?  Sometimes we tell one another, "we bring God with us", and that is true, or could be true.  It is just not all the truth.   God can move on His own quite well. And, He can fill anything He wants to, with or without our help.  I found out a long time ago that God can fill a rickety, stinky, old building nobody wants as long as long as there is someone who wants to have church there.  For me, I would rather be in a rat-hole of a building He is willing to fill than a great cathedral He won't go near.  I love anything filled with the Holy Ghost, including a building.  And, you know something else?  I would rather have ten people and a house full of the Holy Ghost than a thousand people and no Holy Ghost to be seen, felt or heard. 

    Oh, I love being in a Spirit filled building!    I have been in churches where God does  not attend.  He is not a member there. And, it is a cold building.  But then, I have stepped into places where the glory of God drops on you like a cloak.  Love it, love it, love it.  Of course, that much God presence might offend religious folks.  It seems to.  And, it does confront one's senses.  But, I love it.  But, then, admittedly, I am addicted to the Holy Ghost.