Manifestation of the Holy Spirit Part 2
Blessings we can we received through the gift of the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit can bless your life in many ways. Christ promised His Apostles that the Holy Spirit would:
“Teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance” John 14:26 KJV
He will guide you into all truth” John 16:13 KJV
He also said that the Holy Spirit “shall testify of me” John 15:26 KJV
Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, one will recognize and understand Truth and make the right choices and inspired decisions. The Holy Spirit will inspire you with thoughts and ideas, He will warn and comfort you in times of sorrow. You may have already felt His influence at times in your life. Those influences includes “love, joy, and peace”
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Galatians 5:22 KJV
Every believer has experienced the Holy Spirit at some time in their Faith. But there is a difference between experiencing the influence of the Holy Spirit and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Although the Holy Spirit may temporarily comfort someone or reveal truth to them, the gift of the Holy Spirit is reserved for those who have been baptized and confirmed into Christ’s Church. This Gift is the privilege of enjoying the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit.
Difference between Gift and Gifts of the Holy Spirit
It is important that we understand the difference between the “Gift” of the Spirit and the “Gifts” of the Spirit. There is much debate amongst Pentecostal Churches surrounding the meaning of the spiritual Gift and Gifts. A spiritual Gift is a supernatural ability given by the Holy Spirit to a believer to minister as part of the Body of Christ. The “Gift” of the Holy Spirit occurred at Pentecost Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came in answer to the promise of Jesus. The Holy Spirit had been in the world, but now in a new and special way He has come to live in the hearts of His people. He came to dwell permanently within us.
And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter. Even the Spirit of truth John 14:16-17AV
In the book of Acts the sinner is commanded to repent, after which the Holy Spirit will be given. The word Gift is singular, In Acts 10:45 the Gift is seen as given to non-Jews also. The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to every believer at the moment of conversion.
Circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles Acts 10:45 NIV
At the moment of conversion, the believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:38 and 1 Cor. 12:13. This means that you are immersed in the Spirit and Him in you.
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. Acts 2:38 KJV
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1st Corinthians 12:13 KJV
Once we are saved and have the indwelling Spirit, then we may be filled with the Holy Spirit. The filling of the Spirit is God’s controlling presence in our lives. He will fill only what we yield to Him. We may have the Spirit and not be filled with the Spirit.
And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Luke16:20AV
Now all of this has to do with the “Gift” of the Spirit. He comes into our lives to save us, sustain us, and strengthen us. I hope now you understand the singular Gift of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit also imparts Gifts to the believer 1Cor.12, Rom.12. These spiritual Gifts are endowments of power from God given to us so that we might fulfil the calling of God on our lives and others.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament
There are certain Gifts of a spectacular nature that are often given greater attention, the New Testament mentions at least 21 that are provided to the church. These Gifts are listed in Eph. 4:11, Rom. 12:3-7, and 1 Cor. 12:1-12, 28, and are generally assigned to one of three categories.
The Gift of Healing
Healing can be defined as a cure of a disease to a wound and also to that of an individual being restored to soundness; or to a state of body in which the natural functions are regularly performed; as, to heal the sick. KJV Dictionary said that Gift of healing helps people who are sick to get better, some have the faith to be healed and others have the faith to heal other people. A work colleague sharing her testimony with me said, for many years she had serious back pain, this resulted in many days off from work. She had many treatments which did not help, on her way to church one Sunday morning she was led to ask her Pastor to pray for her. He laid his hands on her back where the pain was and prayed, during the prayer session the pain immediately disappeared. Jesus was healing every sickness and every disease among the people Matthew 9:35
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew 9:35 KJV
Today nothing has changed; the same healing Gifts are still available and are manifested through believers, God gives Spiritual Gifts to every one of us but I strongly believe that the Holy Spirit has endowed some people with such special healing. Paul clearly stated in Ephesians 4 that the purpose of these Spiritual Gifts was for the work of the service for the equipping of the saints, for the work of service to build the body of Christ in other words. God has given each of us a task to do, Job was afflicted with sores from his head to his feet but he had great faith that he would be healed. According to Billy Graham the ministry of physical healings through Spiritual means is associated with faith healers. Paul told Timothy to take some medicinal wine for his stomach.
“Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomachs sake and thine often infirmities” 1Timothy 5:23 KJV
We must keep in mind that Luke was a great physician and accompanied Paul on many of his trips, maybe to give medical help. The Holy Spirit gives the Gift of healing (gift of cures) there are many cases of healing that are recorded in the Old Testament and especially the New Testament with Jesus and His disciples.
The Gift of Wisdom
The Gift of wisdom operates by the Holy Spirit granting you a bit of prudence or understanding (or direction) about what to do in a given situation. The knowledge of our Father in Heaven is given onto us to share with all we come in contact with .This Gift should be used to improve our lives and to teach and give wise counsel. Wisdom as the ability to use knowledge and experience to make good judgements. Solomon was the wisest man in the Bible, God granted him wisdom to build the first temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10 KJV
As Christian believers seeking Gods wisdom in our lives, we need to know the Holy Spirits mind, this will help us to identify His will and receiving His guidance so we can think, speak and act in ways that please and glorify God. R.T.Kendall remind us that the wisdom is at odds with how the world operates by thinking of self-motivation but God’s wisdom can change us Paul reminded the Romans:
Be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Romans 12:1 AV
Conclusion
The Holy Spirit is not absent. They were possibly less prevalent, but to argue that all such Gifts were utterly non-existent is to ignore a significant body of evidence. After researching I would conclude that there is enough evidence to say that some form of ‘Charismatic’ Gifts continued sporadically across the centuries of church history and is still present in today’s churches but how it was witnessed in the early churches’ would be futile to insist that every report is bogus or the fruits that are seen are of demonic activity or psychological aberration. God is so amazing, it is good to read and meditate on the word of God. After doing my research I realise that the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit is in the book of Isaiah.
SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOUND IN ISAIAH 11:2-3 KJV
WISDOM
UNDERSTANDING
COUNSEL (RIGHT JUDGEMENT)
FORTITUDE (COURAGE)
KNOWLEDGE
PEITY (REVERENCE)
FEAR OF THE LORD
Read and be blessed!!!