Part 3-3: Using Spiritual Gifts and Yielding to the Anointing

Bible Reading:

2 Kings 4:1-7 — A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

Romans 1:14 — "I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise."

1 Corinthians 12:8-13 — "For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."

1 John 2:27-28 — "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."

The Widow of the Prophet's Disciple in Debt

In this special series of meetings, our burden is to fellowship with the brothers and sisters about how to move forward after receiving the Spirit’s baptism and being filled with the Holy Spirit. But since some among us have not yet received the Spirit’s baptism, tonight’s gathering has two purposes. The first purpose is to help every brother and sister be revived by the Holy Spirit. If anyone has not yet received the Spirit’s baptism, we hope you will seize this opportunity to receive it.The second purpose is to speak about how, after being baptized in the Spirit and filled with the Spirit, we should enter into deeper experiences. Therefore, in the first half of the meeting we will still touch on receiving the Spirit’s fullness, and in the second half we will speak about how to go forward.

The story we just read in 2 Kings 4 describes the wife of one of the sons of the prophets. She came to Elisha and told him that her husband had died, and that the creditor was coming to take her two sons as slaves. She asked Elisha for help. Elisha asked her, “What do you have in your house?” She replied, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Elisha then said, “Go and borrow vessels from your neighbors—do not gather just a few. Then go home, shut the door, and pour the oil into those vessels.” After the vessels were filled, she was to sell the oil to pay her debts, and the remainder would be enough for her to live on. We want to use this story to speak about how to receive the Spirit’s baptism, and how—after receiving it—to use our gifts and obey the anointing’s teaching.

1. The Widow

First, this story identifies the wife of the son of the prophets as a widow, because her husband had died. This symbolizes the identity of Christians in relation to the world today—we are like widows. A husband is the support of his wife; and for us believers, the Lord Jesus is our support. But as far as the world is concerned, since the Lord Jesus was crucified and has ascended to heaven, He is no longer physically present on earth. Therefore, in the eyes of the world, we appear to be like widows—people without visible support.

2. In Debt

This widow had two sons. In the Bible, the number two represents a testimony. The sons she bore signify her life; therefore, her two sons symbolize the testimony of life. The fact that the creditor came to take her two sons as slaves shows that the outward demands of the work are far too great, and our small measure of life‑testimony is truly unable to meet those needs. Paul said, “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and unwise” (Romans 1:14). The Greeks were the wise and cultured; the barbarians were the uncivilized and rough. Whether wise or unwise, we owe them the debt of the gospel. Today, we Christians owe a debt of gospel to the entire unbelieving world—to every class, every people, every nation. Yet the little bit of life‑testimony we possess is far from sufficient to meet such a vast need.

3. The Oil Filling the Vessels

Elisha came and brought the solution—the oil filling the vessels. Through Elisha’s help, all the vessels the widow borrowed were filled with oil. She was then able to sell the oil to pay off her debts, and the remaining oil was enough for her to live on. Thus, the entire problem was completely resolved. Oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The vessels filled with oil represent believers receiving the baptism of the Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. As a result, we are able to meet the outward needs of the work. This is not something we produce ourselves; it is the Lord supplying us, and we simply pass on what we receive from Him. There is no burden on us—we only need to bring empty vessels and continually receive from the Lord, and we will be able to meet even the greatest needs. This is not laboring for the Lord in our own strength; it is the outflow of His grace. It is truly grace freely given. The widow received the abundant oil freely, and then she sold the oil to meet every need. In the same way, today we must freely receive the grace of the Holy Spirit in order to meet the many needs around us.

Now let us briefly look into how we may receive the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit so that we may be equipped to meet every need.

1. Shutting the Door

The first point is that we must "shut the door". Only after the door is shut can we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit symbolized by that jar of oil. During my recent trip to the South Island, I prayed together with the brothers and sisters to receive the outpouring of the Spirit. Many were filled with the Holy Spirit, but some did not receive. One of the reasons was that they had not “shut the door.” After we reminded them, they shut the door—and one after another, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to “shut the door”? It means that our hearts must be shut off from the outside world—from all outward circumstances—and be joined only to the Lord, communing with Him face to face. Only then can we receive the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit.

There was an evening meeting in which everyone was praying to receive the Spirit’s fullness. One brother was especially eager to be filled. He prayed, “Lord Jesus, tonight if You do not fill me, I will not let You go. You must fill me!” Yet after praying and praying, he still did not receive. Why? Because he had not shut the door. While kneeling in prayer, he heard someone in front receiving the Spirit’s fullness. Immediately he opened his eyes to see who it was. “Oh—it’s Brother Chiu!” Then he closed his eyes and continued praying. Soon he heard someone behind him receiving the Spirit’s fullness. Again he turned around to see who it was. “Ah—it’s Brother Wang!” Then he closed his eyes and prayed again.

Throughout the entire time of prayer, his head, eyes, and ears were extremely busy—turning here and there, looking at this person and that person. Sometimes he used his ears to identify voices: Who just received the Holy Spirit? In this way, his heart had “windows” open on all four sides—front, back, left, and right. He had not shut the door. No wonder one person after another was filled with the Holy Spirit, yet he still received nothing. The next evening, after we reminded him, he prayed, “Lord, now I am shutting the door. No matter how much the people beside me are filled with the Spirit, no matter how loudly they shout, I will not pay attention to them.” And he truly ignored everything around him. He prayed face‑to‑face with the Lord alone. Sure enough, that very night he was filled with the Holy Spirit and was exceedingly joyful.

Dear brothers and sisters, if we want to receive the outpouring and fullness of the Holy Spirit, we must shut the door. We must shut out sin, the world, work, anxieties—everything earthly and external—and commune with the Lord alone. When the Lord brings us to the point where we are unaware of who is beside us or what is happening around us, in such a condition we are quickly filled with the Holy Spirit.

2. Empty Vessels

The second point is to bring empty vessels. As the hymn we just sang says, we must empty ourselves. An empty vessel is not only empty on the inside, it must also have no lid on top. If a lid remains, no matter how much the Holy Spirit is poured out, He cannot enter. The lid must be completely removed. There must be no barrier, no covering, nothing standing between us and the Lord. We must be fully open, emptied of everything. All distracting thoughts, including any preconceived ideas about the Spirit’s outpouring, any negative impressions, incorrect views, or fears—everything must be poured out. Only then can the Holy Spirit fill us.

A few years ago, on a Saturday morning, I personally experienced a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That morning, the Spirit moved me to pray like this: “Lord, I want to empty everything—my old concepts, my opinions, my teachings, even the things I consider most correct. As long as something hinders the Holy Spirit from coming in, I want You to empty it out. Remove every blockage.” As a result, I was greatly filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a clear example.

3. Pouring Out the Oil

The third point is pouring out the oil we already have. Every believer has a “jar of oil” within — the Holy Spirit we received when we born again. This indwelling Spirit is that jar of oil. Only when this oil is truly poured out can the fuller outpouring and overflowing of the Holy Spirit come in. What does it mean? It means that in prayer, our spirit must break forth. Many people pray with their mind—using reasoning, thoughts, and mental effort. I am not saying that God does not want us to use our understanding; rather, I mean that prayer must begin with the feeling in our spirit, and then flow through the understanding. That is prayer that comes from the spirit— prayer that is true, sincere, and arises from the deepest part of our being. Such prayer is the pouring out of the oil. And when the oil is poured out, the Holy Spirit naturally fills us.

During my recent time in the Southern region, there was a brother who liked to pray with his mind. He prayed from creation to redemption — thinking as he prayed. His entire prayer came from his head. As a result, he prayed for several days and still was not filled with the Holy Spirit. That day, I finally helped him by saying, “Stop praying with your mind. Pray from your spirit.” So he prayed, “Lord, thank You. I will no longer pray with my mind — I will pray with my spirit.” He had prayed only a few sentences when he was filled with the Holy Spirit! This shows that when the oil in the jar is poured out, the vessels are filled.

Brothers and sisters, today many Christians are not filled with the Holy Spirit—not mainly because of sin. (Of course, sin does hinder the Spirit, but once we ask the Lord’s blood to cleanse us, that hindrance is removed.) The greatest obstacle is the activity of the mind. The mind becomes such a powerful barrier that the Holy Spirit cannot fill us. Therefore, we must pray from our spirit so that the Holy Spirit may fill us.

When we say the spirit must come forth in prayer, it has nothing to do with the volume of our voice. For some people, their spirit is released only when they pray loudly—then let them pray loudly. There was a brother who felt embarrassed to pray loudly, so he held back. Because he would not release his prayer, he sought the Spirit’s fullness for a long time and still did not receive. Later, when he attended a meeting elsewhere, he finally opened his mouth and prayed loudly. Immediately he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

But for others, even when their prayer is not loud, their spirit still comes forth, and they too are greatly filled with the Holy Spirit. There was an elderly sister whose prayer was very soft. One day she came to us for prayer. Though her voice was gentle, her prayer came from the depths of her spirit. Instantly she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

4. Filling the Vessels with Oil

On that day, the wife of the son of the prophet poured out a single jar of oil, and as a result, all the empty vessels were filled with oil. This shows that when we pray out of our spirit and in truth, something marvelous happens: our spirit touches the fullness of the Holy Spirit, bringing in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and filling our whole being.　

We should also briefly mention the relationship between the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Outpouring refers to God’s side — it begins with God. He sends down the Holy Spirit, and this is called the outpouring of the Spirit. From our side, the result of God pouring out the Spirit is that we become filled with the Holy Spirit. Thus, in John 7:38–39, the Lord Jesus said: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Jesus said this concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. From this we see that after Jesus ascended and was glorified, He poured out the Holy Spirit. As a result, those who believe in Him are filled with the Spirit and rivers of living water flow out from within them.

Acts 2 also says that the Holy Spirit came “as a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting” (that is, the Holy Spirit was poured out)… “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:2, 4).

In Acts chapter 4, when the apostles were persecuted, they prayed with one accord.“when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 4:31). The shaking of the place shows that the Holy Spirit had been poured out; as a result, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. This shows that when the outpoured Spirit meets the spirit within us, our whole being is filled and begins to overflow.

This widow originally had only one jar of oil, yet when she poured it out, the oil filled all the empty vessels. This signifies that the Holy Spirit within us, when released through prayer, meets the Spirit poured out from above, and the result is an overflow of the fullness of the Spirit. Normally, the widow’s oil should have been exhausted after pouring into one jar. But once she began to pour, it brought in the unlimited. In the same way, the little measure of the Spirit within you and me—when released through prayer—draws in the outpouring of the Spirit, filling us without limit. Thus says, “God does not give the Spirit by measure.”

Now let us take a moment to speak about how we should go on after being baptized in the Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit. As yesterday’s message emphasized, those who are filled with the Spirit must live under God’s sovereign authority, absolutely allowing the Holy Spirit to rule and establish the Lord’s kingship. We must continually enter into revelation through the Lord’s word, understanding God’s eternal purpose and growing in an ever-increasing knowledge of His Son. Furthermore, we must accept the inward transforming work of the Holy Spirit so that we may live out God’s will.

1. Selling the Oil to Repay the Debt

There are two other very important matters revealed in the story of the widow whose vessels were filled with oil—matters we must pay special attention to. The first is selling the oil to repay the debt. When the widow’s vessels were filled with oil, Elisha told her to sell the oil and pay the debt. What does it mean to? In the Bible, when buying and selling are mentioned, they often refer to the exercise of spiritual gifts.

We surely have not forgotten the parable spoken by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 25. First, He spoke of the ten virgins, teaching us to be like the five wise virgins who prepared oil in their vessels—that is, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately following that is the parable of the talents: one servant received five talents, another two, and another one. The one who received five talents went and traded with them and gained another five. The one with two talents did the same and gained two more. But the one with one talent dug a hole and hid his master’s money. When the master returned, he took the one talent away and gave it to the one who had ten, and the servant was left with nothing.

This teaches us that after being baptized in the Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives us spiritual gifts. Although the gifts given to each person differ in measure, the Lord requires only one thing—that we trade with what we have and gain more. In other words, we must diligently exercise the gifts we have received. This exercise of spiritual gifts is what it means to sell the oil.

And why do we sell the oil? To repay the debt. Brothers and sisters, the people around us are our creditors. Look at our neighbors— many still do not believe in Jesus. Some families among us still have unsaved members. We owe them the debt of the gospel, and we must sell the oil to repay it. In our cities, millions of souls are still unsaved; even more in remote places. How great is the need for us to sell the oil and repay the debt of the gospel.

Among believers, many are sick and need our prayers; many are spiritually weak and need our help; many have stopped gathering and need our visitation, support, and restoration. Should we let them drift away on their own? These needs are placed before us, waiting for us to repay our debts. Can we still harden our hearts, caring only for ourselves and ignoring them? How do we repay the debt? By selling the oil. When we exercise our spiritual gifts to serve these people in need, we are selling the oil and repaying what we owe. If we do not do this, the work of the Holy Spirit will stop. We must sell the oil and repay the debt.

There was a young brother who attended a summer conference where the Holy Spirit was richly poured out upon him, bringing a great spiritual turning point. After returning home, he said he needed to sell the oil and repay the debt. That very day, he exercised his gift and ministered to his family, laying hands on them and praying. As a result, his family members were also baptized in the Spirit, and the whole household rejoiced greatly.

Concerning the gifts of the Spirit, the first part of 1 Corinthians 12 lists nine spiritual gifts: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. These are all distributed by the Spirit as He wills. When a person is baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, it is very natural for him to receive a portion of spiritual gifting. If we continue to use these gifts, we will be like the servants who received five and two talents—the more we trade, the more we gain. The more we exercise our gifts, the more skillful and enlarged we become. But if we do not use the gifts we have received, we will be like the servant who hid his one talent in the ground. Not only will the talent be taken away, but we ourselves will suffer loss.

To strengthen our faith and encourage us to use the gifts given by the Holy Spirit, Paul, after listing the nine gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, immediately says: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free...” (1 Cor. 12:13). This means that the result of being baptized in the Spirit is that we become one Body. Each of us is a member, and we must live out the testimony of the Body of Christ. A crucial key to this is that every member must exercise his or her spiritual gifts.

Therefore, Paul continues by saying…“much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.” (1 Cor. 12:22). This means that every gift each person receives is extremely important. We must never despise the smaller gifts. Not only so, Paul goes on to say, “And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty” (1 Cor. 12:23). This shows how earnestly the Lord desires that every member value the gift he or she has received. We must never belittle our own gift as insignificant and therefore neglect it or leave it unused. May these words stir us to exercise our spiritual gifts so that we may sell the oil and repay the debt.

There was a brother who served the Lord and who, on this occasion, was greatly filled with the Holy Spirit. I encouraged him to sell the oil and repay the debt—to make full use of the spiritual gifts he had received. He obeyed the Lord’s leading and actively exercised his gifts. Previously, he had no interest in preaching the gospel. Whenever gospel was mentioned, he felt no burden at all; he preferred spiritual pursuits such as prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship. But recently, he has been leading brothers and sisters to preach the gospel on Saturdays, preaching again on Sundays, and even going out to visit people. Thank the Lord—he is now actively using his gifts, and using them in many different ways.

On one occasion, when we were helping brothers and sisters by laying on of hands, I invited him to come and join us. Wanting to exercise his gift, he stepped forward and laid hands on a sister. Immediately, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon her in a powerful way—she began speaking in tongues and praying. Praise the Lord! Another afternoon, a sister’s young child suddenly fell ill with a fever. He went to visit them and, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, commanded the sickness to leave, laying hands on the child and praying. A few hours later, the fever truly subsided. Thank the Lord! This is what it means to sell the oil and repay the debt—to use one’s spiritual gifts to serve those in need. I sincerely hope that every person here will rise up to exercise your gifts and minister to others.

Although our goal is not merely to do work, the Holy Spirit must have full authority among us. The gifts He distributes to each member of the Body of Christ must be exercised. When everyone fulfills their function, the testimony of the Body of Christ can grow and take shape. Just as our physical body must move—hands must work, feet must walk—so that the body may be strong, in the same way, since we have been baptized by the Spirit into one Body, we must diligently use our spiritual gifts. This is what it means to sell the oil and repay the debt. The church must use all kinds of spiritual gifts to repay the debt of the gospel to sinners, and to repay the debt of service and supply to the saints. In short, we must sell the oil and repay the debt—only then can the church maintain revival.

2. Living on the Rest

There is one more thing. Elisha said to the wife of the prophet’s disciple, “And you and your sons live on the rest.” What does “the rest” mean? It refers to the Holy Spirit who never leaves us, who remains within us, the indwelling Spirit of truth who abides with us forever (John 14:16–17). The aged apostle John called “the anointing which abides in you” (1 John 2:27). To “live on the rest” means to live daily under the teaching of the anointing.

For example, in eating and drinking, in daily routines, in how we treat people, in our living, our work, our gatherings, and our service—everything is regulated by the teaching of the anointing. If He prompts you to cook, you cook. If He leads you to buy certain groceries, you buy them. If He urges you to wash clothes, you wash them. If He directs you to do a certain task, you do it. If He moves you to visit someone or preach the gospel, you go and do it. To follow the anointing in all things—this is what it means to "live on the rest".

Of course, the scope of the anointing’s teaching is vast and comprehensive. It teaches us “in all things,” and therefore it is sufficient for us to live by for our entire life. Thank the Lord.

During our recent time in the Southern region, we had meetings almost every night. Because the electricity supply there was weak, the larger fluorescent lights were difficult to turn on. So each evening, before anyone turned on the lights, we would switch on the power early while the electricity was still stable, so that all the lights in the meeting hall could come on. One afternoon, we turned on the switch, but one of the lights did not turn on. I said to a brother, “What should we do? We don’t know how to fix it." We really hope that a certain young brother could come—he knows a little about electrical things. While we were speaking about this young brother, he walked through the door. I said, “What a coincidence—you came at just the right time.” He replied that while he was at home, the Lord moved him to come to the meeting hall. He asked the Lord, “What am I going to the hall for?” The Lord simply said, “Just go.” He arrived precisely when we needed him to repair the light. Very quickly he fixed it. He rejoiced, and we rejoiced with him. By obeying the anointing, he experienced the living guidance of the Lord—so satisfying, so sweet. We who watched were also encouraged and strengthened.

Brothers and sisters, from morning to evening every day, we must obey the anointing’s teaching in every matter. Especially after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, if we are not faithful in this, the outpouring of the Spirit may gradually lose its effect. The messages in these days have emphasized how to walk forward in a practical, grounded way. On one hand, after receiving the outpouring and fullness of the Spirit, we must sell the oil and repay the debt—diligently exercising our gifts to serve the brothers and sisters and the sinners around us. On the other hand, we must also live on the rest —faithfully following the inward teaching of the anointing in our daily conduct.

This is what makes a Christian steady, balanced, and truly spiritual. Then the fire of revival will not die out; instead, it will burn hotter and brighter—until that day.

<-- Part 3-2 Part 3-4 -->