Manifestation of Holy Spirit

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. (I Corinthians 12:7-11)

Recently we celebrated Pentecost (actually we celebrate it everyday). After the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the gift of holy spirit was and is poured out to every person who makes Jesus Christ Lord and believes in his resurrection. What is the point of the above verses? God wants every man enabled with His power. That is important to repeat! God wants every man enabled with His power!

In verse 7, Paul explains that holy spirit has profitable uses. The language is a little misleading starting in verse 8 because it says 'for to one is given'. It sounds like one gift is given to one person and another gift is given to someone else. The 'for to one' is actually referring to the 'profit' in verse 7. This list is a list of the profits of the holy spirit to an individual person. 

In reality, any person in which the gift of holy spirit is energized will probably exhibit more than one of these benefits in any one situation, not just one.  Word of knowledge(what is going on) and word of wisdom(what to do about it) are often needed at the same time. Discerning of spirits (separating out the good and the bad) may also be involved and with all that going on, miracles, healing and faith (energized beyond ordinary believing) enter into the mix. So to say that one person operates one  and another person operates another is not accurate. God energizes the spirit in a way that gets the job done. He could involve two people (we don't dare put God in a box), but all nine profits are available to each individual.

Utterance, Revelation, Impartation

Holy spirit in our lives is as simple as breathing. Man has mystified, elevated and complicated God's gracious entrance to our lives by dissecting, separating and isolating it into pieces. Spirit comes from God. It is His very essence (John 4:24). Sometimes we work so hard at hearing from God that we can't see how simple it is. God's word is quick and powerful and cuts through anything. Sometimes it takes us some time to get it because of all the noise in our space, but when we get quiet and deliberately await God's solution, answers are forthcoming, sometimes in a split second.

Prophets, Prophecy and God's Heart - Happy Hearts Day!

You've gotta love Numbers Chapter 11! The people of Exodus were complaining again. Even Moses got irritated with having to deal with it again yet another time.

I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. Numbers 11:14

God did an amazing thing. He told Moses to gather 70 men and he gave them spirit.

And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. Numbers 11:25 

These men were set around the tabernacle. Two men,  Eldad and Medad,  however, were reported to have been prophesying outside in the camp. Imagine that! As human nature would have it a young man asked Moses to forbid them to do so! Moses had a great response:

And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them! Numbers 27-29

God's heart was to be able to talk to every believer. In this record we have a small porthole to see what would happen eventually on the Day of Pentecost that is recorded in the book of Acts. On that day 12 men spoke in tongues as evidence of the gift of holy spirit they received. But the day did not end with just the 12 receiving the gift of holy spirit:

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Acts 2:38-41

God calls to us today to receive His gift. This gift should not lift our hearts above others as if we are specially endowed, or more spiritual than anyone else. It is a gift to lift others up to enjoy the same privileges and comfort in every recess of our inner heart.

Holy Spirit Action

The book of Acts in my Bible is titled 'The Acts of The Apostles'. Titles and sub-headings were added by man. There are great records about the apostles in the book of Acts, but there are also records of others who did great things for God like Philip and Stephen, the certain disciple, Ananias, and others. The common denominator of all those that did great things for God was the gift of holy spirit. Instead of Acts of the Apostles, it might be better to title the book: Acts of Holy Spirit, or maybe even Holy Spirit Action.

God is spirit and everyone who truly loves Him worships Him in spirit and in truth. The very essence of what He is, spirit, has been imparted to man, with measure in the Old Testament, without measure in the New Testament. Throughout the New Testament there are references to the 'new man' or the inner godly nature that the spirit of God brings us. The Word of God fans the flames of that spirit. Where God is concerned, 'spirit' and 'truth' go hand in hand.  Spirit can exist without truth and truth without spirit but both may not be godly. Spirit without truth can be quite lively and misleading. Truth without spirit can be verrrrrrrrry dull.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter delivered a great explanation about what had just gone on in Jerusalem after all the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of holy spirit. Peter was a changed man, no longer denying Jesus, he squarely confronted those who had put Jesus to death. Not only was he changed, but those listening were changed also and acted without fear in response as recorded in Acts 2:42-47:

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear (respect) came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

People recognized the wonderful compassion of God.  They rejoiced. People changed in their hearts as the holy spirit worked in them. They continued boldly in the temple and from house to house and were no longer afraid of those who who sought to extinguish their movement. These verses are about the spiritual reaction to the gift energizing them. Love energizes. They were inspired. This section of scripture should be read with that in mind.  Remember the people in Exodus? They didn't exactly see deliverance the way the believers in Acts did. On the day of Pentecost God must have been so blessed with the 3000 people who were praising Him and sharing grace with all the people.

The grace continued as Peter  and John ministered to a lame man and he was healed. People got excited about it. Peter responded to their wonder by telling them exactly where the powerful and faithful love  was from:

12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. Acts 3:12-13 

The power or holiness came from the gift. A lot has been written about holy spirit, some of it very confusing and frankly misleading.  Internal genuine power comes from a loving and willing God.
When people truly understand its significance, lives get changed and the glory goes to God. He has given us such a gracious gift and it didn't disappear at the close of Acts.

Right Hand of God

In the song of Moses in Exodus 15:6, the phrase 'right hand of God' is used twice. It is used again in verse 12. It is a figure for the effectual power of God.  It is the seat of His administrative authority.

Exodus 15:6 Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
Exodus 15:12
You stretched out Your right hand, The earth swallowed them.

Moses understood the 'right hand of God' and had the authority to  carry out God's desire for His people. As I started to investigate this phrase I was thrown back into Genesis and started working my way through it and then on to Exodus to get the fulness of what God intended for this. The right hand of God is something to sing about and the deeper one digs into that phrase the greater the gold.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ has ascended to a unique magnificent position of ultimate authority. He is not literally sitting on God's right hand. As a child I used to think of this scene as containing big fluffy clouds and Jesus Christ sitting on God right side physically. This phrase means so much more than that. It is not static, it is a dynamic position.

who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Romans 8:34

Jesus Christ not only intercedes for us, he is the way of access to the Father through the gift of holy spirit.

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Acts 2:32-33

This has an important  relational significance for us:

 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

Why? The Word says it beautifully in Ephesians 1:18-23:

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

When we realize the fullness of this, we, like Moses and the Israelites, we want to sing about it!

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I Corinthians 12,13,14 Gift of Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 12 - Describes the operation of the gift of holy spirit

1 Corinthians 13 - L♥ve of G♥d that has been shed abroad in our ♥♥

1 Corinthians 14 -  Order and respect at gatherings of believing people