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Tag Archives: Holy Spirit

I Am what I Am

26 Aug

When you take inventory of your life, how do you see yourself?  Do you feel like you have nothing to offer God?  Do you feel unworthy of His calling?

The Apostle Paul had to deal with these feelings because of his past.

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.  No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10

If Paul wasn’t far enough along to walk in this power, then there’s no chance for us.  Yet the important part of this issue is all summed up in the words but by the grace of God.

There are many in Scripture who’ve felt like this.  Another example is the Centurion who wanted Jesus to heal his servant.  He sent messengers to the Lord asking His help.

So Jesus went with them.  He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.
Luke 7:6-7

Paul used the Greek word, hikanos when he said he didn’t even deserve to be called an apostle.  When the centurion said he was not worthy, he used that same Greek word.  It literally means not far enough along.

There are many Christians who believe that they haven’t walked with the Lord long enough to see the manifestation of the power of God in their lives.  There’s a big fallacy with this kind of thinking.  The very notion that they’re not far enough along implies that there will be a time when they’re mature enough to merit this power.

I’m here to tell you that will never happen on this side of eternity.  In actuality, the centurion had it right.  “…but just say the word.”

Paul understood this concept.  He evangelized most of the Roman Empire.  Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote most of the New Testament.

The simple truth is that you’ll never be good enough.  It’s only by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that we may stand in His power and authority.

I’ll never be good enough or far enough along to deserve the title of son.  I’ll never be worthy of His power based upon my own merits.  But by the grace of God, I am what I am.

It’s this thinking that drives me to work for the Lord.  It’s the foundation for serving Him in the correct way.  When I start to think that I can make myself more worthy I miss the whole concept of His grace.

Many times this is what keeps us from experiencing the power of God in the church today.  If I think like a child – that if I just work harder to be worthy, then I’ve lost it at the start.  If I let sin go unrepentant and refuse intimacy with God then I short circuit the power.

It’s time for us to understand that it’s not my ability to be good that gets me anything.  It’s God’s grace working in me that allows me to manifest the power of God.

Question: What’s the role of good works in the life of the believer?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 26, 2019 in Encouragement, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Gospel in a Nutshell

23 Aug

As we go through Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul now begins speaking about a new subject.  It deals with the truth of the resurrection of Christ.

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.  Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Paul gives us a wonderful view of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It’s not a matter of simply repeating a prayer and all of our troubles vanishing.  There’s more to it than that.

We have to understand that the Gospel Paul is talking about is more than just “believe in Jesus and you’ll be on your way to heaven.”  The sinner’s prayer is definitely our entrance into God’s salvation.  But the Gospel of Christ doesn’t end there.

According to Paul, these people heard what he preached, and then they responded.  Not only did they receive it, but they took their stand on it – they began to establish their lives on this Good News.

The key phrase in all of this is, by this Gospel you are saved.  Paul is talking to a group of established Christians.  This tells me that salvation is an ongoing process in their lives.

That’s because the Greek word for save is full of meaning.  It doesn’t just mean that we’re freed from our sin.  Scripturally, saved means to be delivered and safe from any harm or loss.  It includes healing, protection, provision, and a whole host of other things as well.

Then again, that’s why there’s an “if” in this passage.  The initial believing and confessing of Christ place us firmly into God’s kingdom.  But there’s more that the Lord wants for us.

Our salvation is the ongoing process of the grace of God renewing every aspect of our lives.  In order for this to happen, I have to hold firmly to the Word.  That means that I need to hold fast to it, memorize it, and retain it.

In short, I need to build myself up in the Word of God.  Otherwise, my faith will be too weak to allow God’s work to be manifest in my life.

I think that part of our problem in the modern church is our stubborn refusal to allow God to continue His work of change in our lives.  We’re happy that our sins were forgiven.  We look forward with joy to our home in Heaven.  But right now there are so many things that we want to do and experience in the world.  The thought of God disrupting those plans for His purpose doesn’t sit well with us.

We need to see change as the natural outgrowth of our walk with God.  His ongoing plan of salvation in us should never stagnate.  There’s always something new to look forward to.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8

This is the Good News of Jesus Christ in a nutshell.  The Lord came to earth, died for us, was buried, and three days later He rose from the dead.  The resurrection was confirmed by hundreds of qualified witnesses.

Because of what Christ has done, our lives can be changed by the power of God.  Allow the Holy Spirit to continue the work.  Hold firmly to the Word of God that you’re receiving.

Question: How have you changed since bowing your knees to Christ?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 23, 2019 in Power of God, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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Spirit Led Meetings

14 Aug

I’m continuing to study the gifts of prophecy and tongues in First Corinthians, chapter 14.  Paul is trying to get this church back on track with the proper usage of these powerful workings of the Spirit.

Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.
1 Corinthians 14:22

This verse seems to confuse people.  The first definition of the word sign is a distinguishing mark.  For instance, circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant with Israel.  The second definition of a sign is an unusual occurrence beyond the course of nature.

The fact is that tongues get people’s attention.  It’s something beyond the realm of an unbeliever’s everyday life.

So what Paul’s saying in this verse, is that tongues are not unusual to believers (or at least they shouldn’t be).  It’s something that gets the attention of unbelievers.  Prophecy, speaking for God, is not that unusual for unbelievers.  They’ve heard moving speeches before.

When used together in a meeting, tongues will get their attention, and then the prophetic word will open their hearts.  Both are needed.  This generation is in desperate need of seeing the hand of God at work.

It’s time for God’s people to spend time praying in the spirit.  It’s not just a spiritual toy to take out when we want to feel happy.  It’s vital to our spiritual growth and the evangelism of our nation.

So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?  But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare.  So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
1 Corinthians 14:23-25

There is definitely a place for the usage of prayer in the spirit.  But it must be used carefully in church gatherings.

It’s more important that those who come to a meeting receive a Word from the Lord.  That’s especially true if there are unbelievers present, or even believers who don’t understand the usage of a prayer language.

I have a friend whose wife was a Christian and he wasn’t.  He refused to come to Christ.  He told her, “I’m not a bad person.  When I die, I’ll show God all the good things I’ve done and He’ll let me into Heaven.”

One night, his wife went off to church.  He decided to check the place out, without her knowing.  He snuck in and sat in the back of the church.

That night as the Pastor was giving the call for salvation he said, “And don’t think for one minute that you’re just going to show God all the good things you’ve done and He’ll let you into Heaven.  The only way is through the blood of Jesus.”

Talk about the secrets of your heart being laid bare!  Please understand that no amount of arguing or debating would have convinced him to turn to Christ.  But that night, one Word from God brought him to his knees in repentance.

We need the power of God to be present and active in our churches.  That only happens as God’s people spend quality time in the spirit.

Question: How have you seen a Word from God change a life?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 14, 2019 in Ministry, Revival, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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God in Control

05 Aug

I’m taking a few posts to talk about how God uses tongues and interpretation, as well as prophecy, to build up the church.  Most people understand why prophecy is important.  Tongues is a little more controversial.

For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.  For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
NIV

Paul shows us three things in this short passage.  First, my body is speaking in an unknown language.  At the same time, my mind is unfruitful.  But the most important aspect is the fact that my spirit is praying to God.

Notice that when I pray in the spirit, my spirit and body are active, but my mind is not a part of what’s transpiring. That’s because the gift of tongues is a physical reaction to a spiritual event.  My flesh doesn’t know how to handle what’s happening with me in the spirit.

According to this verse, what comes out of my mouth may or may not have anything to do with what’s happening in the spirit.  That includes the length of the “conversation”, any repetition, the language, or even the physical words spoken.

For instance; as my spirit is praying to God, a Native American may hear “Praise God, praise God, praise God” coming out of my mouth.

Prayer in the spirit – tongues – is for a spiritual exchange.  It’s all about communication with the Holy Spirit of God.  I can say “praise God” well enough in English.  So it’s not about what’s coming out of my mouth.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
1 Corinthians 13:8

That’s why the gift of tongues is only a temporary gifting. It will be unneeded in our resurrected body. We need this supernatural gift right now.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
James 3:7-8

Our tongue can be a big problem.  According to James, animals can be tamed; but you can’t tame the tongue.

What’s the difference between something tame and something wild?  Tame is about character.  A tame dog scratches at the door when he needs to relieve himself.  He’ll wait for you to feed him.

With a wild animal, it’s all instinct. They’ll do what they want whenever or wherever they are.

I’d like my tongue to be self-controlled.  But it’s not going to happen all by itself.

Is a lion in a zoo tame?  No; it’s simply being controlled.  The fact is, you can’t tame the tongue, but it can be controlled…if you’ll let God have control of your tongue.  Then the rest of your life is easy to turn over.

Have you ever noticed how easily we’ll give over control of most things to others?  We’ll let hair stylists, beauticians, surgeons, and trainers take over those areas of our lives.  But not the tongue.

I believe that’s why this gift is so controversial.  I’ve heard people say, “Even if you convince me it’s of God, I’m still not going to seek this gift.”

That’s because tongues are about giving control to God.  Prayer in the spirit is about learning to hear and yield to God.  When it comes to control, that’s the one thing we don’t want to relinquish in our lives.

As believers, we should be daily giving over more and more control to the Holy Spirit.

Question: How has prayer in the spirit positively changed your life?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 5, 2019 in Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Spiritual Walk

 

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Passion for the Spiritual

02 Aug

I’m continuing to post about Paul’s exhortation to build up the church.  That’s found in his first letter to the Corinthians.  We’re now in chapter 14.

So it is with you.  Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.
1 Corinthians 14:12

This verse strikes at the heart of one of the biggest misunderstandings that we can have as believers.  I’ve heard many people speak out against the usage of the Gifts of the Spirit.

Some say that these gifts ceased with the original 12 apostles.  Others teach that we have no say in what gifts we receive.  God’s sovereign choice is the only determining factor in the giving of these gifts.

I was very careful in the above two paragraphs to use the word “gifts”.  That’s an important point that I want to make.  The word, gift, has a certain connotation in our society.

When I think of what a gift is, I think of something that somebody picked out just for me.  The giver determines what the gift is, who it will go to, and when it will be given.  That’s the problem addressed by this verse.

Scripturally speaking, the “Gifts of the Spirit” are not gifts.  That’s a term that man has come up with for tongues, prophecy, miracles, etc.

Even in the above verse, the English translation uses the word gifts twice.  But the word gift is not in the Greek original of that verse at all.

The Bible calls these things workings or manifestations of the Spirit.  They’re the functions of the Holy Spirit through the church.  It’s how the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in the world.

That’s why it’s foolish to say that the “Gifts of the Spirit” have ceased.  That’s like saying that the Holy Spirit has ceased doing His job.

We need to hear what the above verse actually says in its original language.  It reads, “Since you are passionate about spiritual things, be passionate about super-abounding at building up the church.”

The Holy Spirit wants to work through us.  He’s looking for people who are willing to be used.  These signs, wonders, and miracles are how He operates.

I believe that when it comes to these workings, it has more to do with our willingness than God’s sovereign choice.  That’s why we’re told to passionately pursue those spiritual workings that build up the church.  It’s something I can strive for.

I think it’s funny that the word passion appears twice in the original of this verse, and not once in English.  Passion is something I can cultivate.  The more time I spend with the Holy Spirit, the more passionate I become towards Him and His work.

Spend time in the spirit.  Develop a passion for His work.  Then, expect to see the miracles that can only come from the Holy Spirit working through you.  Make it your desire to use this spiritual work to bless and build up all those who the Lord brings into your life.

Question: Why is our willingness to be used by God so important?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 2, 2019 in Ministry, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Maturity and the Gifts

15 Jul

We’re continuing our look at the love chapter – First Corinthians, chapter 13.  We always need to keep in mind that the greater context for this passage is a teaching about the Gifts of the Spirit.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
1 Corinthians 13:9-10

This is another of those hotly debated Scriptures.  There are some who teach that the “perfection” spoken of in this verse refers to the completion of the New Testament.  They say that once the Holy Bible is complete, then there’s no more need for the power-gifts of the Spirit.

But is that what Paul is trying to get across?  I don’t believe so.  The words that he uses don’t open up that interpretation.

He tells us that our knowledge and our prophecy are all partial.  That’s obvious.  None of us gets the whole plan from the Lord.  We only see partial glimpses into what God’s doing.

Paul goes on to say that when the perfect or complete thing arrives, then the imperfect thing will be rendered useless or idle.  This verse does not say that the imperfect thing would become more and more perfect until it was totally complete.  That would be the case if it were talking about the New Testament.

As he was receiving his revelation, the Apostle John was told something very important by an angel.

“Worship God!  For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Revelation 19:10b

All prophecy ultimately points to Christ.  But in our current conditions, it only a partial view of Him, or what He wants to accomplish in us.  However, when Christ – the Perfect One – appears, there will be no need for any of those prophecies anymore.  They will be rendered useless by the Lord’s appearing.

We will then have a perfect view of the One to which all knowledge and prophecy points to.  That’s right in line with what Paul goes on to explain.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:11-12

I think it’s clear from this verse that he’s talking about the church coming to maturity.  It’s not the Bible that needs to be matured and completed, but us.

This is especially true in regards to the Gifts of the Spirit.  As children, we think that everything is about us.  As we grow older, if we mature, we start thinking about the needs of others.

In some cases what you do remains the same.  It’s your attitude that changes.  When I was a teen, one of my chores was to put out the trash.  Guess what?  Now that I’m married I still put out the trash.

There’s a difference, though.  As a teen, I did those chores to gain privileges or an allowance.  Now, I do them because that’s what adults do.  I want my family to be healthy and safe.

That’s what Paul is trying to get us to see through this chapter.  Not that the gifts are going to cease to operate.  But that we need to move in the gifts with a heart of love towards those we are ministering to.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about prophecy, tongues, or giving someone a drink of water.  Walking in love is the sign that you’re becoming mature in Christ.

Question: How does walking in love bring about maturity in you?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 15, 2019 in Ministry, Return of Christ, Spiritual Walk

 

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Body Ministry

28 Jun

Over that last few posts, I’ve been talking about the church as the body of Christ.  Paul is describing it in his first letter to the Corinthian church.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27

Paul makes it clear in this sentence that we all have a part to play.  It was never in God’s plan for a church member to sit on the sidelines and only attend church.

We live in a consumer driven society.  We’re always on the lookout for what we can get out of any place we go to.  It’s unfortunate that we carry that same mindset with us into the church.

In many cases, we don’t ask God where we should attend and what our contribution to the community should be.  We shop around for the church with the preaching style, music, and services offered that we’re looking for.

Scripture is clear that God is the one who decides on our placement within the body.  I can’t just say that I want to be a hand and place myself at the end of the arm.  This explains why the body of Christ looks outlandish to the world right now.

Paul now goes on to explain the various functions of the members.  I’ll take the time to describe each one.

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.  Are all apostles?  Are all prophets?  Are all teachers?  Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing?  Do all speak in tongues?  Do all interpret?
1 Corinthians 12:28-30

There are some things that you need to realize about this particular list.  First of all, it has no relation to the list of the manifestations of the Spirit that we recently looked at.  According to Scripture, the Holy Spirit wants to work all of them in all people as needed.

These are not manifestations, but specific tasks that are performed by believers within the body.  These are functions of individuals as members of a local church ministry.  We need all for these for a healthy, thriving congregation.

I believe that in these last days before the return of Christ, God will be restoring His church to what it should look like.  That means that every member is in place doing what they’re called to do.

We need to be a people who are seeking to hear from God.  We should be spending time in the presence of the Holy Spirit learning to hear His voice.

Only then will we see the body of Christ come together as it should.  Only then will the world see Christ in all His glory, and be drawn to the cross.

That’s what we should be focusing on in this generation.

In my next post, I’ll begin taking a closer look at each of these local church ministries.  Take the time to seek God concerning where you fit in if you haven’t already heard God’s call.

Question: What does the body of Christ look like to unbelievers right now?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 28, 2019 in Ministry, Prayer, Revival, The Church

 

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Unity and the Spirit

21 Jun

A lot of people talk about the need for unity in the church.  Do we fully understand what that means, or what it takes to walk in unity?  I think that the answer will surprise you.

We’re continuing our look at the way Paul describes spiritual ministry in his first letter to the Corinthian church.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.  So it is with Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12

At this point, Paul continues a theme that was started in this letter.  I’m talking about the body of Christ.

This subject started in chapter 6 where they were told that their body was a temple to the Holy Spirit.  Then, in chapter 10, we’re told that when we break bread together in the Lord’s Supper it’s a participation in the Lord’s body.

The Apostle is now giving more insight into this truth.  He begins at a place we can all understand – the natural.  A human body is one entity.

However, you can also view the body as a collection of individual parts.  Even though these many parts all have different functions, they form one whole organism.

All the members of the body together form a unit.  A unit is the foundation for unity.  All the individual parts of the body work together to carry out the will of the mind.

But in all of this, the most important thing to grasp is Paul’s final statement.  So it is with Christ.

He did not say, “So it is with the church.”  It’s vital for us to see that He’s talking about God and not us.  It’s not our body that the Lord becomes a part of.  We participate with Him.  We must become a part of His body.

For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
1 Corinthians 12:13

I believe that this is a key Scripture in understanding unity in the church.  Yet, there are many who never give it much notice.

Part of the problem is in the translation.  The phrase, baptized by, is actually baptized in according to the original Greek text.  So this verse tells us that when we’re baptized in the Spirit, we’re also baptized into the body of Christ.

Throughout Scripture, we’re told that unity is a function of the spirit.  When you think about it, there’s no body-life without unity.

I look at how my own body operates in the natural.  If each member of my body was autonomous, I’d be in trouble.  I couldn’t live normally if each part acted independently regardless of what my brain wanted to be done.

In many cases that’s what the church is like.  We don’t spend the time needed to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.  Then we go off and do what we feel like doing for God.  And we call that the body of Christ.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3

Unity requires effort.  It requires me to hear and obey God’s Spirit within me.  Only when we all synchronize ourselves to the will of the Spirit are we truly acting as the body of Christ.

Question: What’s the difference between unity and agreement?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 21, 2019 in Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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My Will or His?

19 Jun

In my last two posts, I talked about the manifestations of the Holy Spirit.  Not everybody believes that they’re still active today.  How do you feel about walking in the power of these gifts?

I think that in many cases, we don’t want the attention that they’d bring to us.  People would start to question how we were able to do some of these things.  Then we’d have to explain ourselves.

But, in actuality, isn’t that what we’re called to do in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What better way of getting someone’s attention, than seeing the power of God firsthand.

I think it’s sad that we’ve turned this Scriptural truth into a theological debate.  Why not just step out in faith and see what happens.

It’s probably because there’s a deeper issue.  Paul gives us some insight into it.  He concludes his list of the manifestations with the following statement.

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
1 Corinthians 12:11

The first thing I see is the word “all”.  They are all the work of one and the same Spirit.  The same Spirit who gives wisdom also gives tongues.  We need to understand the significance of this.

Right now there are churches who want to pick and choose what they’ll accept.  The same church that would ask me to pray for wisdom in a situation would throw me out if they knew I prayed in tongues.

How could we possibly say that God is the same yesterday, today and forever if we think some of these are temporary?  We need the power of God to be evident in all generations.

I’ve heard some say that the Gospel needed this power temporarily to kick start the church.  Now that the church is in place, our testimony is all that’s needed.  I submit to you that our testimony – without the power – is getting us nowhere.

The next important phrase is that the Holy Spirit gives them…just as He determines.  It’s not up to me to determine what God will or will not do.  Let the Holy Spirit be free to move however He determines.

That’s what bothers me the most about this subject.  There are people who get upset at me for simply believing that all of these are still in operation today.  Why not just let me live in my fantasy world?

Why not let me go my merry way believing that God will impart His wisdom to me when I need it (which He has!).  Why not let me go on believing that God can use me to pray for the sick and see them healed (which He has!).

Don’t they know that if I want to be used of God to heal someone, and it’s not God’s will, then no matter how hard I pray nothing will happen?  But if God still heals then…

So I have a challenge.  Feel free to use it with anyone you know who doesn’t believe in the manifestations.

I simply challenge those who think they’re not for today to pray a simple prayer.  “Holy Spirit, if these gifts are still in operation in the church today, please manifest them in me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.”

That should be no problem.  If you’re right in thinking they’re not for today, then you’re just speaking into the air.  Nothing will happen.

But, if my hunch is correct, they won’t pray this.  Because in many cases these people want to be in control of their lives.  They don’t want the Holy Spirit messing things up by making them an undeniable witness to the power of God.

We need the power of the Holy Spirit to confirm the Gospel that we preach.  Without it, we’re simply in a philosophical debate with other religions.

Keep your spiritual life strong.  Expect the Holy Spirit to show up at just the right time.

Question: Why do many in the church shy away from the power of the Holy Spirit?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 19, 2019 in Ministry, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Manifesting the Holy Spirit (Part 2)

17 Jun

In my last post, I started looking at the manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:8-10

I’ve already talked about the Message of Wisdom, the Message of Knowledge, and Faith.  Now we’ll move on to the rest.

Gifts of Healing.  You may remember that a couple of posts ago, I talked about the word, gifts.  This is the Greek word, charismata.  It’s a gift that the giver retains the right to tell you how it will be used.

Another interesting point about this manifestation is that the original text reads – gifts of healings.  Both words are plural.

I see an incredible word picture in this.  It’s like each of us is given a bag full of presents – healings that we’re to deliver to particular people that we’ll meet throughout our lives.  It’s up to us to stay sensitive so that we can be obedient when the Holy Spirit tells us to pray over that sick person.

Miraculous Powers.  The words used in Scripture mean the working of power.  This can be anything, other than healing, that seems to go against the natural laws.

This also includes the instances of divine favor that we experience.  People in the world will say, “Wasn’t that a great coincidence.”  No, it was the power of God at work orchestrating things on my behalf.

Prophecy.   This is when God gives you a message that He wants you to deliver for Him.  It could be a private or public message.

Many times when we hear the word, prophecy, we think future.  That’s not always the case.  God may want something said that could deal with the past, present, or future.  I think that there are times when believers are speaking prophetically and they don’t even realize it.

Distinguishing Between Spirits.  The phrase, distinguishing between, comes from a Greek word that means to make a judicial decision.  It’s this supernatural gifting that gives you the ability to know what spirit, if any, is at work in a situation.  You’ll know if the demonic forces are trying to hinder.  You’ll also know if the Holy Spirit is at work in the background.

Speaking in Different Kinds of Tongues.  This is the use of your prayer language for ministry.  It could include simply praying for yourself or others.  It could also be a part of deep intercession.  It’s when you allow your spirit to pray in the will of God beyond what you know in the natural.

Interpretation of Tongues.  This is when the Holy Spirit gives you insight into what you or someone else is praying in the spirit.  It’s not quite the same as a translation.  That’s because what you’re speaking with your mouth may not be what’s being exchanged between you and the Lord in the spiritual realm.

These are the manifestations of power that the Holy Spirit wants to display through His people.  They’ll directly point to Christ as Lord.  They’ll cause people to move closer to a relationship with Him.

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done – by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit.  So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
Romans 15:18-19

I don’t believe that you can full proclaim the Gospel of Christ without the power of the Holy Spirit.

Question: How have you seen the manifestations of the Holy Spirit at work?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 17, 2019 in Healing, Ministry, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

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